The Emerald Alchemist
by Mischivous Purple One
Summary: In the process of being completely revamped. Currently creating a timeline that will flow WITH FMA's, rather than smashing everything together. An Alert chapter will be posted when the new version is uploaded. Have heart, my dears, and you may get a most wonderful Valentine's gift.
1. Chapter 1

M.P.O.: My first Crossover. Hope you like. Got the idea cuz my brain wouldn't shut up while i wuz trying to go to sleep...that an my sis wouldn't turn her damn radio down. I can't be listening to anything when i'm trying to get to sleep, otherwise the noise sparks something to think about and then I can't sleep! ARGH! anywho, please R&R!

In the darkness of Central's alleys and it's gloomy maze of old buildings, a man wandered aimlessly, his hands tucked into his uniform. He was tall, around 6' even, with short black hair and dark blue eyes. His standard issue uniform was crisp and fresh, despite it being nearly midnight, and his boots made no noise upon the hard packed dirt that served as a road in this particular part of town. Halfway down the street, he stopped, tilting his head up to look at the moon, the brilliant white orb seeming to taunt him with it's radiance. He sighed and stepped forward once more, only to freeze and drop into a crouch, eyes searching the darkness for anything unusual.

There! A soft sound, comming from the alley across the street. He tilted his head to one side, listening intently. It sounded like whimpering. Or crying. He couldn't be sure which. Cautiously, he stepped towards the noise, hands out of his pockets and poised to snap at any given moment. Finally he reached the entrance to the alley and stopped once more, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness before scanning the area. What he saw made his blood freeze.

A small child, no more than four by his guess, was curled on one side, cradling obviously broken ribs. One small leg was mangled and bleeding, probably the work of a wolf or some other predator. Brusies covered the boy's fair skin like a blanket of purple and yellow, whip marks and cuts mingling like dancers in a night-club. He released his breath, suddenly aware of his need for air, and rushed forward, stopping beside the child and crouching. Glassy green eyes fluttered open to stare into his own blue ones for a second before they slid closed once more, a pained whimper escaping bloodied lips. Without a second thought, he slid out of his coat and gently wrapped the boy in it, extremely careful not to jar the injuries too much. Even with his gentle hands and careful stride, the child was shivering and whimpering like a beaten pup by the time he reached his house. Carefully settling his burden on his own soft mattress, he dashed over to the phone and dialed swiftly.

"...Hello?" A sleepy voice answered, the owner clearly surpressing a yawn.

"Pinako! Get a bag together and get your ass to my place pronto. You'd better bring an automail kit as well." He hissed into the phone, his gaze slipping to the broken boy in his bedroom.

"Roy? What the hell man? It's nearly midnight, what's the rush?"

"Can't really explain in detail, but I found some kid, no more than four, and he's pretty banged up. Just get over here!" He heard a sharp intake of breath and something dropping.

"Right. I'll be over in ten." Then the line went dead. He sighed with relief and replaced the phone before turning to go check on his charge. The boy was out cold, both arms wrapped protectivly around his chest. Dirty black hair splayed in a spikey mess around the small pale face, the eerie green eyes shuttered tightly against the world. Grabbing a rag and wetting it with luke-warm water, he gently cleaned away most of the blood on the boy's face and arms, only stopping to move out of the way when Pinako Rockbell burst into the room. She took one look and paled dramatically before shaking her head, setting her bags on the floor and shooing him out of the room.

Three hours later she emerged, covering in blood, but smiling softly.

"Well?" He asked, his fingers twisting together, belying his worry for the tiny child.

"He almost didn't make it. I had to amputate his leg, and work quickly to remove a shard of bone from one of his lungs, the poor dear. But, He's a tough one and he'll live. Most of the blood was from various cuts. The child had the word 'Freak' carved into his skin Roy! CARVED! Who would do such a thing to any child?"

"I don't know. I just thank the god's he's alright. I trust you can get him automail? I'll happily pay for it all."

"Don't worry about paying, the poor dear needs it, and I've not seen a worse case than his in a while. Just take care of him is all I ask. I trust you are keeping him here. Goodness knows that poor child hasn't ever had a stable home life."

"I had been thinking about it while you were in there. Yes, I'm going to keep him. Those eyes..."

"Huh?"

"His eyes...they were so...lost. Nothing like a normal child's eyes should be. If he didn't look the way he did, or if he was a bit older, I would have said that he'd seen the war." He looked over to see the older woman blanch slightly in shock. Then a frown of concern and rage appeared on her face.

"Once more I have to question who the boy lived with. If they weren't his parent's then I want to know who had the stupid idea of putting a frail child like that in an abusive home. I'd tear them limb from limb if I could." She seemed to deflate after that, and sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "I need sleep. You do too for that matter. I'll stop by tomorrow to check on the lad and make sure he hasn't aggrivated anything, and to give him some medicine. That alright with you?"

"Yea...Shit. Riza's going to kill me when she finds out I haven't done that paperwork..."

"I'm sure if you explain it to your lovely Leuitenant, she'll understand. Hell, bring her over to see the kid when he get's better, if he's this sweet beaten up, I'd imagine he's adorable when he's fully healed and healthy."

"Hm...Good point. Oh well, thoughts for another day. Goodnight Pinako, and thanks."

"No problem Roy. Just call if you need anything."

"Will do." He waved her off and closed the door with a soft snick, sighing and running an hand through his hair before going to check on his new Ward. The boy was sleeping peacefully under crisp white sheets, the gentle rise and fall of his chest the only thing keeping him from being thought a corpse. The too thin chest was swathed in bandages, and one arm rested on top of the sheets, a tube dripping medicine directly into his bloodstream, while another one fed blood into another spot. Roy swallowed forcefully, tearing his gaze away from the mismatched lengths of the tiny legs and dragged a few cusions from the couch into the room to sleep on, covering them with a sheet and sinking onto the make-shift bed with a comforter and pillow. He fell asleep slowly, ears tuned for the slightest abnormal noise.

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Nine Years Later:

Roy looked up, smiling softly at the trousel headed boy that shuffled throught the doorway. The quiet chink of metal resonated with every other step, the only evidence of that fateful incident years before. Green eyes focused on dark blue and a sleepy smile spread on the child's face.

"Morning, Dad. Hawkeye not put a bullet in you yet?" The boy quipped as he slid into a seat beside the elder man, nimble fingers snagging a peice of toast and some bacon.

"Morning, Onyx. I trust you slept well?"

"Yea. Hey you think I could go hang out with Ed and Al today? You said they'd be back today, right?" The black haired youth bounced in his seat, green eyes dancing with joy at the thought of the Elric Brothers. Roy seemed to consider it for a few minutes, before sighing and nodding.

"Why not? But you're to let them give me my report first. Don't want you're favorite brothers to resemble Swiss Cheese do we?" He chuckled at the shiver the Onyx gave at the answer.

"Hawkeye never does that to them...only you!" Came the cheeky reply as the hyper teen ran off to his room. Roy simply smiled and sipped his coffee, the newspaper recapturing his attention for the rest of breakfast.

M.P.O.: Ok, so it's not much...I think it's rather origional if I say so myself. At least, I haven't found any other fics like it yet... Please R&R!

Quick explaination on a few things though. 

1) Pinako is Granny Pinako. In my fic she was living in Central at one point and was on good terms with Roy. That's how she happened to be close by, in case anyone wanted to argue. BTW, the child was 6 when Roy found him. 

2) Onyx Rue Mustang is the child's name. It doesn't roll off the tongue, but who cares, it has meaning...that and it was the only thing I could come up with that meant what I wanted it too. Here are the basic discriptions of the first two names, which do have an effect in the story, just so you know. 

**Onyx (stone): **_Energy_- Projective; _Planets_- Mars, Saturn; _Element_- Fire; _Deity_: Mars; _Powers_- Protection, defense Magic.

**Rue (herb): **_Gender_- Masculine; _Planet_- Mars; _Element_- Fire; _Deities_- Diana, Aradia; _Powers_- Healing, Health, Mental powers, Love.


	2. Chapter 2

M.P.O.: Hello again! OMG I had so many faves and alerts for this one it's rediculous! I guess you guys liked it! you made me soooo happy, especially considering I wrote it at 4:00 in the morning after staying up for over 20 hours. Wheee! Once again please, R&R. feel free to ask any questions in a review, I generally answer them in the next update. =] Just to make it clear, before anyone asks: I don't know everything about FMA, just what I remember from the episodes. If you see a mistake in the names of cirtain places, or something else to that effect (besides the little twists I have done to make it work), please let me know and I will fix it as soon as possible. Also I went over this with a fine toothed comb, so to say, so if you find any grammer or spelling errors, please tell me and I will fix them. Thanks again! Quick answer to a question and then you can go read!

_**"Harry isn't going to be an asshole about magic not following Equivalent Exchange is he?"**_- I plan on Harry having a slightly different form of Alchemy anyway, as you will read below. So no, he won't be an ass about it. He will have a slight problem with the human and animal transfigurations, but other than that he'll be fine. Thank you for asking.

_**Onyx Rue Mustang: The Emerald Alchemist**_

Golden blond hair flashed in the sunlight falling through the glass of Central's train station. The owner of said hair was a boy, around 5'4", wearing black leather pants and vest under a crimson red trench coat. Behind the oddly dressed boy, stood a huge figure encased in steel armor. The armored man stood at a clear 6'5", and never removed his helmet, despite the sweltering heat.

"ED! AL!" An overly cheerful voice broke through the hustle and bustle of the train station and the blond boy fell under the weight of another boy with jet black hair and green eyes. The armored man chuckled, bending down and lifting the new arrival bodily into the air and holding him there while he giggled at the scowling boy.

"Onyx! Did that Bastard send you to get us or something?" The blond grumbled, picking himself up from the ground and glaring at the taller boy, who slung an arm around his narrow shoulders as soon as Al set him down.

"That Bastard, as you so kindly put it, Mr. Elric, happens to be standing directly behind you, awaiting his report." Roy's amused voice startled both brothers, and they spun to face him, Onyx laughing in the background.

"Good morning Colonel, Sir." Al said respectfully, nodding at the older man and nudging Ed in the ribs. The blond alchemist just grumbled a hello, his arms crossed and a scowl set firmly on his face. Onyx poked him in the ribs, a grin threatening to split his face in two.

"What's wrong, little brother?" He teased, dancing backward to avoid the metal fist that came flying at him.

"I'm older than you, twerp! Who are you calling so short he makes a grain of rice look like the Eiffel Tower?"

"Ah, but why are you shorter IF you're older than me, eh? And I was calling YOU short, Shrimpmetal Alchemist!" Roy shook his head, one hand shoved in a pocket as he watched the two boys bicker and chase each other around. Onyx was faster than the eldest Elric, and so always managed to keep out of his way, despite the blond's attempts to grab the black haired youth's coat.

"Come on boys. The others would like to welcome you back, and I'm sure you'll have wonderful tales to tell Onyx, AFTER we're finished for the day." Onyx slid to a stop beside his father and chuckled at Edward. He wiggled a finger and green energy shot out of it, hitting the Elric's coat and turning it bright pink. Then he ran for Headquaters, Roy and Al right behind him as they escaped a raging shrimp.

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_**London, England: Leaky Cauldron **_

In a dark corner of the Leaky Cauldron, a man with shoulder length black hair and eyes so dark they looked black, sipped a viscous looking liquid, grimacing at the burn as it went down. The door to the dingy pub opened with a squeak, sending light sprawling briefly across the room before it closed behind a hooded figure. The new arrival looked around for a few seconds before heading swiftly to the corner table, sliding into the seat across from the obsidian eyed Wizard.

"Evening Severus."

"Albus. Unusually dark outfit today...any particular reason?"

"October 31st, dear boy. Anyone of good concience would be somber on this particular day. Why even you are dressed darkly."

"Albus, I ALWAYS wear black. So have you found anything?"

"I have found many things, dear boy. Be more specific would you?"

"I meant about the Potter brat." He rolled his eyes at the older wizard, taking another sip of Firewhiskey. Albus sighed, nodding his head at Tom and taking a drink from the bottle of Butterbeer the old barkeep had set in front of him.

"I think I might be close. I found another lead in a small country called Ametris, where instead of Wizards, they have Alchemists. The country is run mostly by a military government, who employs the best of these alchemists to work under them. One of these wonderous people has caught my attention, not for their rank or status, but their age and the powers they seem to have immense control over."

"And? Who are they? What do they have to do with Potter, of all people?"

"I'm getting there. Anyway, he is the adopted son of the Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang. The boy is said to have long black hair and brilliant green eyes. One of only two people to become a state alchemist at the age of 12, he is quite unique, especially considering his powers are different from regular alchemy. They call him the Emerald Alchemist, because unlike other alchemists', the energy he uses during transmutations is green instead of blue. I can't really say more than that, as I'm still covering several other possible leads. This one seems the most likely though."

"Let me guess...You want me to go to this...Ametris...and find the boy to see if he resembles Potter in any way."

"Awe, Severus. I didn't know you cared! Of course you can go check, I wouldn't stop you from keeping your oath to dear Lily." Before Severus could get out another word, the older wizard had stood and walked out, dropping a galleon in front of Tom on the way. He scowled and tossed back the remaining firewhiskey with a growl.

"Damn meddling old coot..." He muttered on his way out, robes snapping behind him.

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_**Dublith, Ametris: Nov. 17th**_

Onyx stared coldly at the man in front of him, fingers tingling with alchemical energy as he refrained from attacking just yet. His adversary was tall, with sandy brown hair and several tribal tattoo's on his arms and torso. Brilliant blue eyes glistened with menical glee as the young Alchemist wiped blood from his cheek.

"Had enough yet Emerald?" He taunted, twirling bloodied knives and leering at the dark haired boy. Onyx simply spat a globule of blood to one side and smiled back, green eyes sparkling with a strange intensity.

"Oh no Jerimiah, I've just begun. It's been a while since I had any fun, you see." He said calmly, raising a hand and examining the emerald green fire flickering across his skin with calm serenity. Jerimiah blinked, surprised at this new display, and took a step back. Onyx's grin grew wider and he switched stances smoothly, the odd fire leaping to cover one arm in flickering light. He snapped the fingers on his other hand, catching the bow that appeared and tilting his head at the suddenly scared rougue. "What? Never seen a bow before?"

"H-how did y-you do that? That's not Alchemy!" Jerimiah stuttered, knives forgotten as he pointed a shaking finger at the elegant silver bow. Onyx simply smiled again and drew the magnificent weapon with three fingers. An arrow made entirely of green flames appeared in place as he drew, the tip a shimmering point of solid green energy. Taking careful aim, he smiled once more at the shell shocked look on his opponents face, and let go. The arrow flew true and landed perfectly in Jerimiah's chest, directly in the right chamber of his heart. The rougue alchemist dropped to his knees with a grunt, eyes glassy, and then fell forward hitting the ground with a thud. Onyx gave a tired sigh and released the bow, which disappeared as soon as he let go of it. He frowned at his suddenly heavy limbs and shook himself awake before turning to head back into town, a satisfied smirk spreading on his face. Ed and Al were waiting for him and they could go get some food before hopping the train to Central. Behind him, Jerimiah's hand relaxed, releasing it's tight grip on the special daggers and the button hidden on one side.

Onyx gasped in shock and pain when the explosion sent him flying into the abandoned warehouse to his right. He slid down the wall, eyes shuttered tightly, and jaws clamped shut around a scream. His chest and shoulder throbbed in time with his heartbeat as shrapnel fell to the ground around him, and he opened his eyes, blinking at his sudden cloudy vision. He looked down and blinked at the familiar knife lodged between his lower ribs. There was another one in his shoulder, both polished steel with leather grips, glowing arrays inscribed along the dull part of the blade.

"Bastard was good..." He managed to mutter before surrendering to the darkness that crept at the edges of his vision.

M.P.O.: Soo? You like or what? Bit of a time skip in this one, but it was needed. Once more, Please R&R. For those reading Daemon Snape, or What the Blind Man Saw, I've been having terrible writers block on both of them. If anyone would like to suggest a main plot for Daemon's 5th year, I would greatly appreciate it. As for WTBMS, I just can't figure out how to make the words work. Give me a bit more time and you'll see a new chapter on that one. I've also been considering putting Drastic Changes up for Adoption. Anyone interested can message me, and we'll work it out from there. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

M.P.O.: Thanks for the review Sabaku! I'm glad you like it. And thank you all who put this on your faves and alerts! It made me happy to see all those messages in my inbox. Once again, I'm sorry for any spelling or gramer errors I might have missed. Please review and enjoy!

**/mental speech/**

_thoughts_

Severus Snape was very very bored. He had disillusioned himself and snuck into the Flame Alchemist's office, hoping to catch a glimpse of the young boy, only to find he wasn't even in town. Luck had it that he was due back that day though, so all he had to do was wait. Meanwhile, he studied the man behind the desk, who was currently lounging back in hsi chair, pointedly ignoring the stack of paperwork piled in front of him, his arms behind his head as he stared out the window. The Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang, had short dark hair and dark blue eyes. Severus could clearly see the innocence had been ripped from the young officer a long time ago, probably in that odd war Albus had told him about before he left Hogwarts. He sighed and tapped his finger on his chin, the strong silencing charms set around him ensuring that he wouldn't be heard no matter what he did. He jumped when the door opened with a bang, admitting the blond leiutenant, and snorted when Mustang sat straight in his chair, warily watching the gun strapped to his subordinate's side.

"What is it Hawkeye?" He asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose and narrowing his eyes at the door, where several curious heads were peeking around the doorframe.

"Sir, Fullmetal just phoned from Dublith..."

"What now? Is he going to ask for a few more days to spend with that teacher of his or something?" He rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair once more. Hawkeye shook her head, lips pressed into a thin line of worry.

"No sir. It's about Emerald. Something went wrong with the mission."

"What?" Roy's tone had changed. He sat bolt upright in his chair, eyes hard as diamonds. Snape winced; he did not want to get on this man's bad side.

"The rougue is dead sir, but apparently he got in a last attack. Emerald was hurt...severely." She answered, saying the last word so soft he had to strain to hear it. Roy's face was blank as he stood, grabbing his jacket and gloves.

"Breda, Furey. Keep an eye on things. Hawkeye, come with me." He ordered, sweeping out of the room. Snape trailed behind, dread dropping like a stone into his stomach.

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Ed paced back and forth, arms crossed and face set in a frown. Al stood in the corner, nervously twisting his hands together and watching his brother's pacing, finding a small amount of amusement that his anxious brother was pacing out a simple array. They were waiting for the Colonel to arrive, having been pushed out of the room while they changed Onyx's bandages for the fourth time that day. The door opened and both boys looked up, expecting to see Roy's dark countanence striding through the room, only to sigh at the old woman who had entered. Ed began his pacing once more, head bowed and bangs hiding his face as he completed yet another array. Alphonse twiddled his fingers, watching the door with as worried an expression as a suit of armor can give.

"Colonel!" Ed jerked at Al's voice, looking up to see the dark haired man crossing the room, Riza close on his heels.

"Where?" Both boy's flinched at the single word and Ed pointed at the third door down the hall. A cart stood outside the wooden door, signaling that a nurse was working inside. Roy nodded, already heading for the door, just as the nurse stepped out with a bucket fill of bloodied bandages. She jumped in surprise at the Colonel's dark appearance and stared up at him.

"Sir? Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see the Emerald Alchemist."

"And you are?"

"Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist and that boy's father."

"Oh! Of course sir. He's asleep, but you can go in. Mrs. Curtis has been taking care of him, so you'll be able to get the details from her." Roy nodded tersly and stepped around her, opening the door quietly and stepping inside, his boots quiet on the tile floor. Nobody noticed that the door took a second longer than normal to close.

Onyx was lying peacefully on the soft bed, a white blanket covering to his hips and exposing the freshly changes bandages on his torso. He face was pale, and they had removed his hair from it's usual braid so that it lay on the pillow like a halo of black. Roy closed his eyes for a moment, reliving the past for a split second, before he moved forward and sat in the chair beside the bed, one hand reaching forward to grasp Onyx's.

Severus stood behind the chair, eyes wide as he took in the boy's injuries. He strode to the front of the bed and crouched to examine the chart without disturbing it, sucking in his breath as he read.

_Several laceration's on the arms, face and torso. Two cracked ribs on the lower left side. Stab wound to the right shoulder, blade lodged in place with alchemic arrays. Another stab wound between the bottom right ribs, peircing the lung, also lodged with arrays. Damn, what the hell was this kid doing?_

He shook his head and moved back to the bedside, his eyes taking in the lean muscles hidden under the gause. A glint of something metalic made him frown in confusion, and he leaned closer, eyes widening at the sight of some metal...thing, attatched to the boy's hip. Resigning himself to a long stay, he moved on, his gaze finally landing on the boy's face. He swore fluently in several languages for above Emerald's right eye, a lightning bolt scar marred the flawless skin.

_Dammit Albus, you just had to be right didn't you? _He sighed and pulled out a mirror, setting a silencing charm over it before speaking into it.

"Albus." He waited patiently, his gaze straying to the injured figure beside him, and scowled when Dumbledore appeared in front of him with a cheerful smile.

"Severus, my boy! What have you found out about our dear Emerald Alchemist?"

"I do beleive we have found Mr. Potter. Take a look for yourself." He answered, turning the mirror so that Albus could see Emerald. The shocked gasp that followed nearly made Severus smile as he turned the mirror back around. Albus was stunned, his jaw hanging loose and his blue eyes wide with surprise.

"By Merlin! What happened to the boy Severus?"

"Not sure. I just followed the boy's adoptive father, who was the man you saw beside the bed. They just arrived five minutes ago. From what I could see of his medical charts, he has at least two life threatening injuries, stab wounds to the bottom left lung and right shoulder, and two cracked ribs. I would do something about it, but it would look strange to the other doctors if he suddenly got better." Snape shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his conjured chair and crossing his legs. He nearly yelled in surprise at the sudden groan that emitted from the boy, but regained control so quickly he might not have been surprised at all. "Hold on a second Albus, he's waking up." He muttered and turned the mirror once more so that the Headmaster could see the boy.

Roy sat up and grasped Onyx's hand, rubbing the smooth skin on the back with his thumb. Green eyes cracked open for a second before snapping closed again, another pained groan escaping his lips at the bright light above him. Behind him, Riza turned down the lights, nodding at the grateful look her superior gave her in return.

"Onyx...Open your eyes again. The lights are dimmed." Dark lashes fluttered as Onyx forced his eyes open again, that emerald gaze fixing on roy's dark blue one instantly. He cracked a weak smile and waved lazily.

"Hi Dad...W-where's Ed and Al?" He asked in a whisper, coughing halfway through. Roy handed him a glass of water and looked at Riza, who nodded and stuck her head out the door.

"They're outside." A few seconds later the brothers entered, smiling widely upon seeing their best friend awake. Onyx smiled back, green eyes glittering with joy and he reached forward and grabbed the end of Ed's braid. Ed squeaked, scowling, but didn't pull away in fear of hurting his friend further. Roy rolled his eyes and prised Onyx's fingers front the golden hair with ease, stopping the protests with a stern look.

"So little brother, how'd you do it?" Ed asked, resting one elbow on the bed and his chin on a hand, amber eyes flickering over the bandages. Onyx shrugged, wincing slightly at the movement.

"Arrows. Bastard cut me up before hand though. Had to let him think he had the upper hand. Which, now that I think of it, he could have gotten me quicker had he released the button on that damn knife sooner. I underestimated him, but no worries, he's dead now anyway. Got him right in the chest with one of my special arrows."

"And you couldn't block the explosion? You normally do."

"It surprised me. That and I was already tired. That last attack took a lot out of me, considering the type of arrow I used."

"Which one?"

"The green one. With the solid tip." Ed and Al gaped, while Roy looked angry and upset at the same time.

"I told you not to use that one! It tires you out too quickly." He snapped, glaring at Onyx, who shrank back into the pillows, lowering his head in shame.

"Sorry. I didn't think before I used it. I just did."

"Onyx, I can't beleive you didn't wait for me! I've wanted to see your death arrows for years now!" Ed exclaimed, eyes wide and sparkling with the urge to learn. Onyx merely rolled his eyes and looked around a bit.

"Yea yea, I know. So...Where exactly am I?" He asked, examining the walls with a raised eyebrow. His gaze swept over Severus and to the wall before flickering back and landing on the surprised man. He stared hard at Severus, who was finding it hard to move or even speak. Roy said something that neither of them caught, and Ed laughed at something that Al said.

"Umm..Albus...I think he can see me."

"Impossible. You used invisibility and silencing charms didn't you?"

"Yes I did. But he's staring directly at me Albus. It's odd." He stared back, directly into green eyes so like his dear Lily's.

**/Who are you?/** He jumped, narrowing his eyes at the boy and checked his Occlumency sheilds, stunned to see that they were fully functional, no tears or holes anywhere. **/I asked you a question. Who. Are. You?/** The voice spoke again, it's mental tenor echoing in his head.

**/My name is Severus Snape./ **

**/Hn...What are you doing in my room, invisible no less?/ **Once more his eyes widened, and he blinked, finally noticing that the boy was talking animatedly with his father and the brothers.

_What the hell? _**/I cannot explain at the moment. I need to ask my supervisor before I can divulge that information./** He answered. Green eyes narrowed fractionally and before he could react, a glowing green hand was clasped around his throat, made entirely of flames. The sudden cries of surprise from the others in the room told him that he was no longer invisible and he cursed. In the mirror, Albus's eyes were wide with surprise and shock at the sheer power the youth was displaying. Onyx's hand was outstreached towards the Potion's Master, green flames extending along his arm and beyond his fingertips to form the clawed hands that were gripping Severus' throat tightly, though he hadn't moved from his bed. Roy, Ed, and Al were standing in defenseive position's, Roy's fingers poised to snap, a sharp blade extending from beneath Ed's coat, and Al holding his hands in front of him. Riza was aiming her pistol directly between the dark haired man's eyes and he found himself wanting to shrink under the intense gazes directed at him.

"Ummm...Good Evening?" He said in a hopeful tone, careful to keep his hands on the arms of his chair and his eyes locked with glowing green.

M.P.O.: Tee hee, I love getting Sev into difficult situations. It's just so much fun. Once more, please R&R. Remember any questions will be answered in my next Update.


	4. Chapter 4

M.P.O.: *laughs* Thanks for the review Sakura! Here you go! I got it finished as soon as I could, just for you! Thanks to anyone else who has read so far, all those messages in my inbox make me write faster.

Colin- To answer your not-so-question: Onyx got his State Alchemist name from the color of his eyes and the color of his Alchemic energy, Emerald Green. They used his energy color as a name because it was so unique. The stone Emerald is as such:** Emerald: **_**energy- **_receptive _**planet- **_Venus _**Element- **_earth _**Deities- **_Isis, Venus, Ceres, Vishnu _**Associated Metals- **_Copper, Silver _**Powers- **_Love, Money, Mental Powers, Psychism, Protection, exorcism, eyesight.

Review thanks to: Sakura Lisel, queenclara00, colin, Sabaku no Sable, and Black Flash. Thanks guys!

Stone descriptions are taken from Scott Cunningham's: Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic. I do not own.

You're a What?

Onyx's eyes narrowed furthur at Severus as the man waited for someone to speak. Finally Roy broke the silence.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"He said his name was Severus Snape. As to why he is here, he didn't say, but that his superior could let him. Ask that mirror over there." Only Severus seemed stunned by that, and Roy only nodded, stiding over to pick up the mirror that still showed Albus' face. The old man still looked shocked and didn't move until Roy cleared his throat. "Speak up old man. I don't know how, but I know that you can talk to us."

"Too right you are Mr. Mustang." Albus answered sheepishly, running his hand over his beard. "Would you mind if I came over there to talk with you? As Severus's employer, I can tell you what he could not." Roy looked at bit suspicious, but nodded. Albus beamed at him and the mirror went blank. A second later a sharp crack echoed in the small room, followed by a blast from Riza as her gun went off, the bullet burrowing a hole in the wall behind Albus's shoulder. The old man stood stock still while the others in the room, barring Severus, examined him. Onyx was the first to do anything besides stare. He laughed. One arm still holding Severus in place with that strange green energy, he wrapped the other around his chest and laughed. The others soon followed, even Riza, though she kept her gun trained on the blue and orange robed wizard. Albus looked confused, only moving when Onyx coughed, holding a hand to his ribs and grimacing. Roy frowned and pushed him back onto the bed, careful not to touch the swirling green flame that coated one hand.

"You shouldn't have done that." He reprimanded, amusement coating his voice instead of warning. Onyx simply smiled back at him, wiping a small amount of blood from his lips with a napkin and tossing it into the bin beside him bed. Albus took a step forward, ignoring the click of Riza's gun, and stood next ot the bed. Onyx stared up at him, green eyes narrowed in distrust.

"What are you here to tell us. Better yet, what is your name and why did you send this...grease ball, after us?" Severus scowled at the insult, but made no move to object, mindful of the very sharp claws resting comfortably around his neck. Albus merely chuckled and clapped a hand on the Potion's Master's shoulder.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I sent Severus here to look for a boy who has been missing from our world for nine years. We finally found him, after many hours of research and other possible candidates."

"Uh huh. Let me guess. I'm this missing boy."

"You would be correct. What are your names by the way? It only seems fair that I should know who you all are." Roy looked around the room, meeting the gazes of the others before nodding minutely.

"Onyx Rue Mustang, The Emerald Alchemist."

"Roy Mustang, The Flame Alchemist."

"Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Alphonse Elric."

"Riza Hawkeye." Albus nodded to each, then looked pointily at Onyx and then at the green energy wrapped around Severus' neck. Onyx simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"Onyx, would you please release Severus? I assure you he means no harm." Green eyes studied Severus for a few seconds before the clawed hand disappeared and Onyx' hand dropped to his side. Roy shook his head and grabbed the hand, massaging the fingers and muscles as he knew that they would be numb after using so much energy for so long. Onyx closed his eyes in bliss as his father's strong fingers returned the blood flow to his hand, bypassing the needle-tingles. He opened them again and looked up at Albus, a single raised eyebrow the only thing needed to remind the older man of his reason for being here.

"Onyx, you are a very special young man. Not only are you a wizard, but you are also the Boy-Who-Lived. You see-"

"Wait...Wizard? As in Merlin and King Arthur and all that jazz? That's rediculous old man. I'm an Alchemist, a man of science, not some freak with a stick and a few magic words." He snorted.

"Ah..well, You are not an ordinary Wizard Onyx. Even the people here can claim that your Alchemy is different from the others, correct?"

"Yea...It's always been like that. Doesn't matter. Alchemy is Alchemy. That freakin Gate just gave me a way to circumvent the rules a bit."

"Gate?"

"The Gate of Truth. I saw it around nine years ago after...well, after a really shitty day." He muttered, his gaze flickering over to Roy's for a second. Ed stepped forward, struggling not to snort with laugher at Albus' outrageous robes, and put his hands on his hips.

"So if he's a Wizard, as you say, then that means you must be one as well. I want Proof." Onyx smirked at the blond's need for proof above simple belief. Albus merely smiled and pulled his wand out of his sleeve.

"Ah, I thought you might like a demonstration. Let's see....yes, this shall do nicely." He flicked his wand, levitating the chair Severus was sitting in, along with the table and even Onyx's bed. Four pairs of eyes narrowed at this display, three of them thinking about this show of power, and the fourth thinking of all the ways this 'magic' spelled trouble for them. Ed's eyes narrowed and he strode forward, waving his hand over and under each floating object, just in case. With a sigh, he nodded.

"I guess he is a wizard. Though I still don't beleive that Onyx is one. He's an alchemist, always has been."

"Ah, but why is his alchemy different from yours? If my sources are correct, and they are, I assure you, your alchemic energy is emerald green instead of the usual blue."

"I already told you old man, I've seen the gate. That stupid Holder of Truth loves to mess with people." He growled, crossing his arms over his chest as Ed nodded beside him, one hand drifting to touch his metal arm. That sparked something in Severus and he stood slowly, aproaching the bedside and staring at Onyx curiously. "What?" He snapped, glaring at the dark haired professor.

"While you were asleep I noticed something metal attached to your hip. Could you tell us what it is?" He asked quietly, suddenly aware of the stiffling silence of the room. Onyx stiffened slightly, one hand gripping Roy's tightly as his eyes slid closed. Ed and Al looked at each other and backed off slightly, moving to stand next to Riza, who had lowered her gun and was eyeing the two wizards warily. Finally after three minutes of silence, he opened his eyes again and stared directly at Severus, one hand flipping the blanket over to reveal his Automail leg in all it's shiny glory. Albus gasped in horror and dropped into a chiar, a wizened hand held to his heart as the gleaming metal held his gaze. Severus merely paled, steeling himself as he leaned forward to examine it. The automail limb was highly polished, obviously well taken care of, and from what Severus could tell, very well made. The port covered what was left of Onyx's thigh, extending to his pelvic bone and covered by black silk boxers. Another flip of the blanket covered it again and Severus sat again, his mind whirling with questions. Albus got there first however, his voice soft and full of regret as he said one word.

"How?" Onyx looked to Roy, who sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I found Onyx when he was 6 years old. He was lying in an alley, one leg pulverised by something and blood running from various cuts along his arms and chest. His ribs were broken as well and he could barely breath without coughing blood. I got him to my house as gently and quickly as possible and called a friend over to fix him up as best as she could. She fixed his ribs and stitched his more severe lacerations. The only thing she couldn't save was his leg, which had to be amputated. We helped him heal and a few weeks later, he got his first Automail leg. He doesn't even know how it happened, so it's useless to ask." He explained quietly before wrapping his arms around Onyx. The emerald eyed boy was staring blankly at the wall, all expression gone from his slim face. Ed and Al stepped forward once more and the blond brother crawled up onto the bed, carding the long black locks in his gloved fingers as he muttered soothingly to Onyx. Roy snapped his fingers in front of the blank green eyes, conjuring a small flame and smiling when Onyx's focus jumped from the wall to it.

"Sorry..." The teen muttered, lying back on the blankets and closing his eyes. Albus nodded and began to explain again, only to pause as the door opened and another woman stepped through. Her dark hair was held in hundreds of little braids, all pulled into a low ponytail, and her eyes were clear and blue. She frowned at Ed, who scampered off the bed as quickly as he could and smiled sheepishly at her.

"Hello Teacher." He murmured, rubbing the back of his head. Al nodded, greeting his teacher as well. She smiled lightly and stepped up to the bed, ignoring the two new men in favor of checking on Onyx.

"Well little one, it would seem you've gotten yourself in a mess again."

"At least I got rid of him this time!" Onyx said brightly, beaming up at her. She chuckled and shoved Roy out of the way, ignoring his complaint as she unclipped one of the pins on the gauze around his chest.

"Yes, well, you were lucky those Array's were created by an amature, otherwise you might still look like a stuck pig." She grumbled, unwrapping the gauze carfully and rolling it as she went. He bit his lip as the last of it came away, a bit of scab pulling off with it. The wounds were red with ragged purple edges, weeping clear liquid in some spots as he breathed. She gently checked around the area, ignoring his wince, and smiled gently at him once she had finished. Behind her, Albus had his face in his hands and Severus was pale as the sheets he was lying on. "Well your healing abilities are still as good as ever. Your lung is already healed and the various cuts are scabbing nicely." She told him as she rewrapped his chest with new bandages. He just nodded, and curled back under the blankets as she left.

"We can continue this tomorrow if you want, Onyx. I'm sure you're tired." Albus said gently, noticing the teen's eyes slipping closed. Severs scowled at the thought of staying another day, glaring at Albus who just smiled at him. Roy nodded, tucking the covers around Onyx as he drifted off, and headed for the door.

"See ya tomorrow then..." He muttered before falling deeply asleep, the medicine in his veins a sweet relief.

M.P.O.: Ok, not what I was origionally going for, but my muse grabbed the keyboard and wouldn't give it back till she got to write it out. Hope you like this one though. Don't worry about Sevvie, he'll get to have more 'fun' a bit later on. Thanks again for the reviews and please tell me if you spot an error. Remember, all questions will be answered if you simply reveiw or message them to me.


	5. Chapter 5

M.P.O.: Thanks guys! Review thanks and answers to Questions:

**"How will they reconcile Alchemy the science with Magic?"- **I haven't quite figured it out yet, but it will take some time for them to get used to the idea. Remember, they have lived with Onyx for years and his alchemy is pretty strange. That's why they didn't react when Onyx already knew Sev's name in chapter 3, they expected it really. The way I figure it is, Alchemists are lesser Wizards who haven't unlocked their full potential. They live by a set of rules and use their inner powers to activate transmutation circles and such, like a Wizard uses his magic, pushing it through a wand and saying an activation word to get the magic to do what they want. Some of the more powerful ones, such as Ed and Isumi, can use Alchemy without circles, such as some wizards don't need to use words, and the REALLY powerful ones don't need wands. Get it? It made sense to me at least...

**"I hope you don't make Onyx too cooperative with the wizards."- **He won't be. He was raised with Alchemy and as such will have a lot of trouble reconciling the two different cultures. 

**"I can't see ED being so acceptive about magic."- **He isn't. Maybe I didn't get it right when I wrote it, but he accepted it for the moment because he didn't have access to anything that would contradict it. He plans of studying on it until he can either disprove it or he gets undeniable proof that it does exsist. As I said above, they've been around Onyx for years and his Alchemy is not normal. 

**Ranfan of the Yao Clan- **Thank you for all of the pointers. I'll try to go through the previous chapters and correct that as soon as I can get to it. As for the other points; I never paid enough attention to the series to know exactly when Roy joined up, so I just twisted it a bit to get it to work for my story. I only paid attention to the important bits, like how Ed and Al do stuff and all the trouble they got into. As for him knowing Granny, I explained that in the First Chapter A/N. They gave Onyx automail, after asking him if he wanted it, and telling him very bluntly how much pain it would cause. Already having been in similar situation's of intense pain, he agreed and had it done. Can't have my main character without a leg can I? *smiles* Hope my twisting of canon doesn't offend anyone, and I thank you for reviewing your thoughts, it meant a lot to me.

**Wizard Shmizard**

_The door slammed, shaking dust from the roof of his tiny cuboard. He cringed into the pitiful blanket, hiding his bruised face under the thin fabric as though hoping to disappear. _

_"BOY!" Uncle shouted, his words slurring as he stumbled down the hallway, thick fingers searching fro the padlock that kept him secure in the darkness, away from pain. He shivered, curling into as small a ball as he could as the door finally opened, light spilling into the dark space. A huge hand reached into the tiny space, grabbing the rags they called clothes and dragging him into the open. Vernon Dursley was red in the face, clearly drunk, and had obviously had a bad day. His beady eyes glared down at the small by with black hair and vivid green eyes, taking in the bruises that littered the skin under his shirt and the way his collar bones jutted from his skin in an obvious show of malnourishment. _

_"Y-yes Uncle Vernon, Sir?" He asked quietly, bracing himself for pain as Vernon's face purpled. _

_"You disgusting freak. You sit there in the room we gave you, eating food from our table and wearing the clothes we so graciously allowed you to have, and then you go and do this?" Vernon started quietly, the slurr in his voice nearly nonexistent in his drunken rage. In the kitchen behind him, Aunt Petunia washed dishes, completely tuning out the voice of her husband and focusing on the task at hand. Dudley peeked around the corner, eager to see his freak of a cousin get beaten to a pulp, as was the usual nightly entertainment. _

_"S-sir?" He stuttered, unsure of what he could have done this time. It could be that he had missed some weeds in the garden, or forgotten to clean the living room again. He couldn't tell, and just decided to go with it until he found out what he had done. _

_"Your freakishness has gone and lost me my job, Boy!" Vernon bellowed, his fist swinging around to connect with the small child's face, a sickening crack signalling the now broken knuckles on that hand, even as it knocked Boy to the floor. He whimpered in pain, holding a small hand to his cheek, but made no move to run away, knowing that the beating would get worse if he did._

_"Dudders. Go and get me that special knife from my desk drawer. Be careful with it now, I don't want my little man to hurt himself." He told Dudley, who grinned gleefully and dashed up the stairs. A few minutes later he came walking slowly down the hall, an ornate blade balanced on his hands reverently. He handed the blade to his father carefully, handle first, and stepped back to watch. Vernon grinned horribly, and grabbed Boy's shirt again, picking him up and dragging him through the house and into the backyard. A seven foot fence protected the yard from spies and neihbors, for Aunt Petunia was paranoid that someone would see the freak. Vernon tossed Boy to the ground and knelt, ripping off his shirt and tossing it away. He cringed at the cold night air, wrapping his thin arms around his chest as though they could protect him from everything and whimpered as Vernon drew the blade, light from the kitchen gleaming from the sharp metal. _

_"I'll just carve the freakishness out of you. Maybe that'll work, huh?" He cackled and brought the blade forward in a quick slash, leaving a red streak on Boy's pale arm. The small child whimpered, his lips held together tightly to avoid screaming. If he screamed he would only be punished more. Several more swipes had blood running in rivulets down his arms and Vernon grunted, unsatisfied. He growled at Boy to stay put and disappeared into the shed, reappearing a minute later with several wicked looking stakes, a hammer, and some rope. He worked quickly, driving the stakes into the ground near Boy and then cutting the rope in half with the bloodied knife. Grabbing Boy's arm, he wrapped one end of the rope around his skinny wrist and then looped it tightly to the stake, drawing his arm out to the side. Then he flipped him over and repeated it with the other arm, so that he was spread on his stomach, arms wide as if hugging the ground. _

_"P-please S-sir. I'll be good, I-I promise!" Boy sobbed quietly, his voice a mere whisper as he pleaded with his Uncle. Vernon merely chuckled darkly and brought the tip of the kinfe to the smooth skin on his back and drew it down, leaving a gaping red wound. He did this several times, spelling out one word in blood red letters for the world to see. F. R. E. A. K. Vernon chuckled at his work, cleaning the blade of Boy's shirt as he stood. A second later, a voice broke out into the backyard, the owner striding towards Vernon with a small creature at her side. _

_"Vernon! How are you? Oh...What's the ungrateful brat done this time?" Aunt Marge spotted him and her eyes shone with delight at the words carved along his shoulders. _

_"Lost me my job he did, the bastard."_

_"Oh, well that is bad isn't it? How about we let my dear Ripper have some fun with him. He hasn't seen the boy in sooo long and we all know he loves him." She smiled sweetly, her fat face like a ball of goo in the light spilling from the kitchen window. Clucking happily, she bent down and released the clasp on her prised bulldog, Ripper. "Sic 'em Boy!" She whispered, smiling at the small dogs growl, which sounded far to gleeful for Boy's taste. The little beast sprang forward and latched onto his left leg with a snarl, his small teeth peircing the skin and ripping muscle with ease. Boy barely held back a scream and shook his leg in a vain attempt to shake the dog off, only to make him grip harder. Finally he managed to knock the beast off, only to have it spring back with another snarl and latch onto a different part. Vernon and Marge laughed quietly in the background as Ripper lived up to his name, small fangs shreading the tender skin on Boy's leg. Marge then called the dog back with a short command and rehooked him to the leash while Vernon strode forward to examine the damage. Boy's right leg was torn to bits, small snatches of white showing through the wounds and flashing the teeth marks gouged in soft bone. Boy's eyes were glazed with pain, his cheek resting against the ground and his breath slow and even, as though he was asleep. Vernon frowned and untied his hands, rolling him over, but he made no sound, didn't even twitch as he was moved, despite the obviousy painful injuries. Vernon snarled in outrage. How dare the freak go blank on him! With a savage grin he kicked him in the chest, eyes closing at the satisfying snap of the freak's ribs. Still boy didn't move, the only sign of his injury a bit of blood that dropped from his lips a few seconds later. Vernon growled, but stepped back with a gentlemanly bow to Marge, who grinned horribly and raised her foot. With tremendous force she brought her huge high heeled foot down on Boy's already ruined leg, snapping the bones in his thigh and calf in quite a few places. Then a scream of pain exploded from the small form, accompanied by a blast of brilliant green energy that knocked them backwards. When the light disappeared, Boy was gone, leaving a scorched patch of grass as a testament to what had taken place. _

He screamed, jerking against the restraints, eyes closed tightly against the glare of bright white light. Voices passed above him, each unfamiliar and all with a tone of urgency that scared him. He twisted more, ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder and side, lips flying open in another scream that released a mouthful of blood.

"...someone grab his arms!"

"Shit, he's bleeding out again!"

"Dammit, get Isumi in here!" The voices surrounded him, unfamiliar and terrifying. **What were they doing to him?** He flailed against the firm hands that held him, feeling his energy lashing out and striking those around him with a crack like a whip. A few mintues later, **or was it an hour**, someone burst into the room, closely followed by two other people. The new person ran forward, dodging the lashing alchemic energy and grabbed his arms, pinning them to his side with gentle but strong movements. A soft voice spoke soothing words in his ear and he clamed somewhat, basking in the familiarity. Another person moved forward and spoke, his voice soft and silky.

"I can help him. Just let me give this to him and he'll be fine in no time."

"What is it?"

"A healing potion. It'll work faster than your medicines and stop all of the internal bleeding."

"I really don't think..."

"Do you want him to die?"

"No, but..."

"Then let me give it to him dammit!" Someone nodded and the other person stepped closer, the soft pop of a cork resonating in his ears before the rim of a glass was pressed to his lips. "Drink Onyx. Come on, it'll make you feel better." He opened his mouth a bit and thick liquid poured in, coating his tongue with a foul tasting slime. He gagged, trying to spit it out, but hands covered his mouth and massaged his throat, forcing him to swallow. Seconds later he fell limp against the person holding him, his breathing shallow, but even as he fell back into a dreamless sleep.

Roy laid Onyx back against the bloodied blankets and sighed, running a hand through his hair, careless of the blood that stained his clothes. Beside him, Severus was putting the cork back in the tiny vial of blue liquid, his lips pressed into a faint frown of worry as he stared at the pale figure on the bed. Onyx's energy was gone, the whip-like strands disappearing with the appearance of someone familiar to him, though marks of their presence still decorated the arms of several nurses. Albus peered at Onyx over his glasses, eyes filled with regret for all that the young man had suffered.

"He hasn't had a dream like that in years..." Roy muttered, staring at the wall, his white shirt stained with Onyx's blood. Severus flicked his wand, cleaning the sheets and their clothing, though Roy took no notice. Albus left him to his thoughts, choosing to examine the boy between them curiously while he waited for the questions.

"So tell me more about this world of yours." Roy said quietly, his gaze fixed on the rise and fall of Onyx's chest. Albus conjured one of his squashy chinz chairs with a flick of his wand and sat down, popping a lemon drop into his mout as he contemplated how to explain it.

"Well, first of all the Wizarding world has been hidden for thousands of years, no one of non-magical blood can see it unless someone of Magical blood points it out to them, you could say. We have a Ministry of Magic, which is our government. There are three schools in Europe that teach magic, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts, of which I am Headmaster."

"I can understand all of that. Just tell me what Onyx has to do with your world before I fry your coat." Roy growled, dark eyes flickering over to stare into cerulean blue for a moment before they returned to watching Onyx.

"Of course. And it's a robe." He beamed at the dark glare sent his way, but continued quickly at the new position of Roy's index finger and thumb. "How to start...I suppose that It would have to have started in 1938 when a student by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle showed up at Hogwarts. The boy was brilliant, perfect scores in all of his classes, prefect in fifth and sixth year, and then Head Boy in his last year. He was a Slytherin, not a good house to be comming from in those days mind you, and I could tell he was different...colder than the rest of them. In his sixth year, a Chamber within the school had been opened and the monster within released. It only killed one student however, and the culprit was never found, though I did suspect Mr. Riddle. Aftwer school the talented young man traveled the world, learning as much as he possibly could about magic. Around 1970 Tom Riddle disappeared, replaced by Lord Voldemort, the leader of an army of Dark Wizards and proclaimed Dark Lord of that decade." He went on to explain about some prophecy, Halloween night, Onyx's real parent's and his name. Then he told how Onyx's mother died to save his life, thus enabling the 15 month old to live and kill the Darkest Lord of their time. By the end of the tale, Roy was holding back snickers and Albus was picking apart two stuck lemon drops.

"So you mean to say that my son is this Boy-Who-Lived. He killed a 'Dark Lord' at the tender age of 15 months old, all because his mother died to save him? And now you want him back in your world to get rid of said 'Dark Lord' AGAIN, becuase nobody else has the guts to do so, is that about right?" He glared, crossing his arms and staring at Albus defiantly. To say the old man was a little unnerved was an accurate assessment.

"Well...yes." Was all Albus could think to say to that. Roy finally snorted, leaning back in his chair and laughing quietly. Ed poked his head throught he door at the noise and raised an eyebrow at the laughing Colonel.

"Eh...Mustang? What's got your funny bone?"

"This old coot thinks that Onyx is going to go with him and save the so called 'Wizarding World.'" He managed to say before falling into chuckles again. Ed stepped all the way into the room, his eyes glittering with mischief as he studied Albus.

"So...Wizard, huh?" I still don't quite believe it." He muttered, walking around Albus with a pensive expression, automail fingers tapping his chin with a faint chinking sound. Albus stared at the short alchemist while Roy snickered knowingly in the background.

"Welcome to the torture of Edward Elric's study craze. You will be taken apart and put back together by the fastest mind in all of Ametris, all in the name of Science and Discovery." Al said, entering the room behind his brother and standing beside the bed. Albus paled minutely and stared down at Edward who was smirking eagerly at the older man, finger twitching.

"Soooo.....Wanna let me see that wand of yours?" He asked innocently, golden eyes gleaming. By the door, Severus snorted softly, then paled when Ed turned to him instead, the gleam increasing. "I forgot there was two of you..."

M.P.O.: WhooHoo! Longest chapter yet! Don't expect a bunch of these though, this one was hard enough to get out. *embarrassed grin* Ok I got the explaination out. There'll be a time skip in the next chapter to when Onyx is healed again, so that we can really get this show going! Thanks again for the reviews guys and please leave another to let me hear your thoughts. All flames will be read, thought about, and then used to roast Marshmellows with Severus and a bottle of Captain Morgans. **No, Port. That Morgan's stuff is too sweet for my taste... **Awe, but you know I love it! ***eyes narrow* I will have my Port. That or a nice glass of Blackberry. **Fine...** *smug smile*** Manipulative coot... **That's Dumbles, Bella. I'm the Greasy Bat, remember?** Riiiiight....


	6. Chapter 6

M.P.O.: Mainly a filler chapter in this one. A little fun, a some fighting, but otherwise not my best. Hope you like either way!

Colin- Thanks for the review, but I think I'm going to keep my chapters the way they are. It's easier for me to write in short bursts instead of taking a week to write one chapter, thus making you guys wait longer. That plus it gives me more room to work with the story...if that makes any sense. Thanks anyway!

Other thanks go to: ; Mireya Humbolt; Sefirot; and Sakura Lisel. Thanks guys!

Death Nibblers Galore!

Onyx sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stared at the scenery beyond the train window. They were heading back to Central, thankfully without their new Wizarding companions, who had had to get back to their own little world for some odd reason. Al was sitting in the seat opposite him, playing his 295th game of solitaire, while Ed dozed beside him. Roy was chatting with a few ladies down the compartment, his skillful comments and polite attitude making several of them blush. Onyx shook his head at his father's antics and snapped his fingers, conjuring a small ball of green flame, which he began to toss around. Across the isle, a little girl giggled, her bright blue eyes following the flame as it passed from hand to hand. He smiled over at her and snapped his fingers, conjuring a few more and juggling them around. She shreiked with laughter, clapping her hands, and her mother looked over with a small smile. When they pulled into the station at Central, the young woman stopped beside them as they stood to get their bags.

"Thank you for entertaining her. She usually get grumpy on train rides."

"It was no problem, ma'm. An alchemist be thou for the people, as the saying goes." He smiled at her and tweaked the little girl's pigtail, making her giggle again and hide behind her mother's skirt.

"An Alchemist? Are you one of those State Alchemists?" She tilted her head to one side curiously, blue green eyes staring into his own green ones.

"I am. Onyx Mustang, the Emerald Alchemist, at your service." He bowed slightly, smiling again at the look of surprise that crossed her face. Her gaze slipped past him to Roy, who was pulling bags off of the rack behind him, and Ed who was still conked out on the bench.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day." She smiled, then glimpsed the clock from the window. "Oh, we have to go! It's been a pleasure Mr. Mustang."

"The pleasure is mine. Have a nice day." He waved them off the train and turned to wake Ed up, biting his lip as he contemplated how best to revive his golden haired friend. With a smirk worthy of the Weasley Twins, he grabbed Ed's automail leg and twisted carefully, flipping the boy onto the floor and, grabbing his bag, pelted down the aisel all in one smooth move.

"ONYX!" Ed's yell of rage followed him through the station and he laughed, black trench coat flying behind him as he headed home.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Wandering the streets of Central was his favorite pasttime, maybe because of they way Roy found him, or maybe it was because of some urge to be moving constantly, he didn't know. With a small smile, he brushed his bangs out of the way and started across the street, heading for an alley hidden in the shadows. A few feet in, the ground was stained brown, testament to the start of his new life. He knelt, running calloused fingers over the mark with a calm serenity. Then, just as he was about to stand and leave, a loud crack split the silence. He spun around, careful to keep a look of surprise on his face as he surupitously slid his daggers out of their sheathes and into his hands. Five people stood in front of him, each wearing black robes and a white mask. They chuckled, seeing him standing in a loose pose, mistaking his stance for one ready to run instead of one ready to kick butt.

"Look at the little Muggle. Filthy creature, scared shitless at the sight of thier betters. Can we torture him some Bella, please?" One of them asked, his form bouncing slightly as though he were an eager puppy. Onyx rolled his eyes and let out a snort. They all stopped talking to stare at him.

"Oh please. A muggle? Seriously, that's the best word you can come up with? I've been called worse by a freaking ten year old!" He chuckled, ignoring their hisses of outrage as he leaned casually against the wall and blew a peice of hair out of his face. The center one froze, their gaze locked on his forehead.

"Potter?!" The woman yelled, brandishing her wand at him and letting out a sickly yellow spell, which he dodged easily.

"That would be someone who makes pots and other clay objects for everyday use, dear." He replied, dodging yet another spell, red this time. The other Death Eaters finally got over their shock and started shooting spells at him as well, none of them the sickly green he knew to be the killing curse. He laughed, dodging all of them and getting closer all the while, until he managed to smash his dagger into one of the white masks, knocking it from the person's face and cutting their cheek in the process. Dolohov. His mind supplied, skimming through the pictures the old coot had had him memorize. Without stopping, he used his momentum to spin around and slammed his foot into the side of another's face, earning a grunt and a spray of blood for his efforts.

"What's the matter Potter? Can't use magic?" Bellatrix, the only woman in the group, taunted, sending curse after curse after him, all of which he dodged with fluid grace.

"You want magic bitch? I'll show you magic!" He yelled back, slapping his palms together in a perfect imitation of Ed's usual style, and drawing them apart. Green energy streached between his palms, the sheer power and beauty of it stopping the remaining Death Nibblers in their tracks as they watched, curious about this odd form of magic. With a grin worthy of the gods, he grabbed one end of the alchemic energy and let go of the other. Coils of the green energy looped on the ground at his feet, a perfect copy of a nine tailed whip. He grinned at them and flicked his wrist, sending the coils out to wrap around each of them. The green lengths seemed to move on their own, wrapping each of the dark robed wizards in their grasp and drawing them closer. Each of them screamed in terror as the whips burnt through their robes and onto their skin, leaving behind angry red welts. Bella shrieked, more angry than scared, and slashed at the ropes of energy, managing to loosen hers, and promptly disappeared with a sharp crack. The other four quivered in place, only two of them having the sense to try it, the remaining two frozen with terror. Onyx smirked, snapping his fingers and carefully assessing the area. Someone had apparently set up a silencing charm, for there was no sign that anybody had heard the commotion. The nine-tailed whip hissed with pleasure, only two of the strands holding their captives while the other seven melded together and shrank back into the solid green handle.

"Nice doing business with ya!" He yelled to the air before turning to his captives with a sadistic grin. "I think Armstrong will have some fun with you. He's been wanting a new punching bag for a while yet..." Dolohov and the other masked Death Eater shivered in fear as he led them down the street.

He made it back into Headquarters without incident, the DEs trailing after him with the whip-like energy wrapped around their necks like collars. A few people in the street stopped to stare, mainly at the strangers' strange clothing than the way they were being led, as Onyx usually captured his victims instead of killed them. Less messy that way, he always said. When he stepped into the office, Breda yelled in shock and dropped the pile of paperwork he was holding, Furey raised an eyebrow, and Riza smirked, recognizing Dolohov from the files Dumbles had given them.

"Went fishing Emerald?" She asked as he passed, the confused men dragging behind him with terror in their every movement. He grinned at her, flicking the whip a little and making them wince as it shocked them.

"Nah. These little beauties jumped out of the water all on their own. They did need a bit of help to get in my net though. I lost three of them." He shrugged and kicked the door to Roy's office open, nimbly dodging the burst of flame that erupted where his head would have been. "Nice way to greet your son, Dad." He said sarcastically into the room. Roy twitched, blue eyes glancing carefully into the hall to see where Riza was sitting before dragging Onyx, and his baggage, into the room. His eyes widened and his eyebrows shot into his hairline at the sight of two bloodied Death Munchers in emerald green shock collars.

"Let me guess...They snuck up on you?"

"Nope. Appeared in the Alley behind me, thought I was something called a muggle, and then proceeded to call me Harry Potter, who apparetly looks a lot like me, and try to beat the crap out of me. A rather nice 'Welcome Home Emerald!' don't you think?" His eyes sparkled as he talked, enjoying the look of sheer confusion that was no etched on the two captives faces.

**/Roll with it Dad. As soon as I let them out of the collars they'll do that disappearing act thing, and go back to where ever they came from. Best not to let them know that they actually DID meet Harry Potter, instead of some kid who looks like him, ne?/**

**/Got it./**

"So what are you going to do with them, Emerald?"

"I figured I'd let Armstrong have 'em. He has been wanting a new toy." He grinned, and stuck his head out into the hall. "Hey Riza, darling. Would you get Major Armstrong down here?" He cooed, fighting his laughter in order to keep up the charade. She nodded and picked up the phone, chatted for a few minutes, and then smiled at him.

"He's on his way Major Emerald, Sir." She winked at him as he shut the door again. He stifled his giggles and turned back to the cowering Death Eaters, who were watching Roy conjure flames every few seconds.

"I wonder where Fullmetal is? He would probably like a chance to interrogate these guys." He mused thoughtfully, green eyes twinkling. Behind him, the door opened with a bang, admitting the hulking figure of one Major Armstrong, who proceeded to give Onyx a bone crushing hug.

"Emerald! It's so good to see you alive and well! Why, we in the Armstrong line always beleived..." He ranted, pink sparkles jumping from his skin as Onyx rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Major, I'm alright. Now I've attained some prisoners that I thought you might like to interrogate." He motioned to the DEs, who were staring wide eyed at Armstrong as though they had never seen a man so huge. "I'll just release them from the collars and hand em over to you, shall I?" He grinned up at the large man, who nodded minutely. Good, Riza had told him the plan. Onyx turned to the two DEs and reached for the collars, a disgusted sneer plastered on his face as his hands brushed their bloodied robes. As soon as the green energy that made the collars had been absorbed by his hands, the two disapparated with twin cracks, setting all of them laughing.

"It worked perfectly!" Onyx giggled, rolling on the floor and clutching his stomach. Roy leaned back in his chair chuckling, while Armstrong filled the room with his deep laughter. Riza poked her head into the room, took in the strange scene, and nodded. "Now Moldy-wart will be kept busy with thse other rumors Albus was scattering everywhere, and I'll have time to get into the swing of things." He pulled himself into a chair and sighed happily. "You and Ed still going with me to that Hogwarty place?"

"What do you think? Of course! I'm going with to provide a little extra security, and Ed is going because he's still going through that weird phase of his. Poor Severus wouldn't go near him for three days after that last time." Roy shook his head and smiled at the memory. Armstrong chuckled again and made for the doorway.

"I'll help get the paperwork for your transfer ready. Bradley won't know you're gone if I have anything to do about it." He said as he walked out. Onyx laid back on the couch and smiled happily.

"One week. Then we can see what all this new world has to offer us. Albus said that Hogwarts has a huge library...can't wait to get my hands on it."

"You and Ed are going to make that librarian go spare. I'd better not hear of any pranks while you're there. I know how you and Ed get when you're bored." Onyx gave him a innocent look, managing it perfectly even though he was looking at him upside down.

"I'd never..." They both burst out laughing again.

M.P.O.: Whew...Sorry it took so long to get this one out. I was busy with homeschooling. Just started German two days ago. Anyway, hope you liked it and don't hate me for being late in the producing of this particular chappy.


	7. Chapter 7

M.P.O.: Ok, decided to take a leaf out of JK's book and write the last chapter now, since I had a really good idea for it at..oh...3 in the morning...Yeah, I keep some strange hours. Stay up all night, run around the block at around 6:30am, and then study German for four hours before falling asleep for another six hours. My brain ish all funky cuz of coffee, 6 hours sleep, and around four hours of rossetta Stone lessons...One. After. Another! ARGH! I hate German now...But I still wanna learn it...Is it just me or does it sound like you're cussing someone out no matter what you say in that language? Anywho, getting back on point...I have a stopping point for this fic! A great achivement, considering all my other ones are trapped in an endless tunnel of WB, and have no endings yet! Whew. 

Sakura- I meant for the last chapter to be like that, so that I could put a flashback in this one. Sorry for the confusion, but you should like this chapter even more, just cuz of what I put in it! :)

A New Terror

Onyx glared at the clock on the wall for the fifth time that day. Three days after their arrival in Central, enough time to get everything together and set up for their departure, and they were bored stiff waiting. On the desk in Roy's office was a length of rope, something Snape had called a 'Portkey', which would take them to their destination, ie: Hogwarts, in about three minutes. Of the ten people who had wanted to go in the first place, only five were leaving. So that's why Ed, Al, Winry, Onyx, and Roy were staring at the clock inbetween sighs of impatience and tapping fingers. Finally, after two minutes and thirty seconds, they all crowded around the desk and grabbed a peice of the rope, exactly as Albus had told them. What he hadn't told them however, was how the Portkey felt, so each of them was surprised, and slightly pissed, when they were pulled away by a sickening jerk behind the naval.

The group of five pissed off Ametran's landed somewhere in Scotland, on a streach of road between a tiny dilapidated village and a pair of huge Iron gates. Onyx shook his legs out, grimacing at the odd noise his automail made, and told himself to have Winry check it later. Beside him, Ed was having the same problem, only a bit worse. His Automail seemed to have siezed up, causing the blond to fall right on his arse in the dirt. Across from them, Al was making soft snickering noises, one hand hiding his face while the other clutched three bags. Winry blinked, releasing her death-grip on Roy's arm as she orientated herself with the new area, and Roy simply ran a hand through his hair casually as his eyes scanned the area.

"Well...That was...interesting." Onyx muttered, grapping his pack and slinging it over one black-clad shoulder. His trench coat **(1)** flowed like water around his legs and he stepped forward to examine the gates. He tilted his head catching a glimpse of the, according to Snape and the old man, huge castle beyond the trees. His thoughts drifted back to the day they had decided to go, eyes glazing over in thought.

_Flashback:_

_"So you're saying that I'm the Savior of an entire Hidden World, kinda like Naruto is the 'Savior' of Konoha?" He asked, green eyes swirling with questions and thoughts as he absorbed what he had been told. Albus and Severus just looked confused, while Roy sighed into his breakfast, a white gloved hand meeting his forehead at an impressive rate as he listened to the talk around him. "Nevermind. Forgot you weirdos don't have good fiction..." He muttered, taking a bit of fruit as he waited for an answer. _

_"To put it frankly...Yes." Albus answered, since Severus was too busy flicking through a book on Alchemy his had found on Roy's shelf. The greasy haired Potion's master was completely absorbed, despite not knowing half of the terms, his obvious intelligence putting two and two together and getting four, like any good little book-worm would. Behind them all, Ed was sitting in a chair, his arms strapped to the sides and each finger carefully restrained so that he couldn't even scratch out a circle. To add insult to injury, his mouth was duck-taped shut, with a sipper and padlock (though how it got there nobody was saying. Onyx suspected Severus). The blond was staring longingly at Severus' wand, which was peeking from the man's pocket, and a twitch had set itself up right above his left eye, probably due to the sheer amount of short comments Snape had managed to get in before he was restrained. _

_"And this makes me want to help you how?" Onyx tilted his head at the Headmaster, blinking innocently, though the effect was ruined by the foot-long knife he was currently polishing. Albus blanched, sitting back in his chair and actually considering the question for once, his eye twinkle nearly gone for a few moments. Then the dratted twinkle came back full force as he sat up with a wry smile. _

_"An Alchemist be thou for the People isn't a good enough reason?" He asked slyly, obviously hoping to trap the young prodigy with that simple statement. He was disappointed when Onyx merely snorted. _

_"Yea, for my own country maybe. Your world has nothing to offer me, except for a few tales about my parent's of course, but I'm not very interested in that." He waved a hand in dismissal, ignoring the flabbergasted look on Albus' face as he showed absolutely no interest in his life before that fateful Halloween night. _

_"Well then...How about in the interest of knowledge? You are a wizard, and as such should have proper knowledge of how to use your full powers. Mr. Elric would be allowed to tag along of course, as would at least three others, should you choose to go..." Onyx had to stifle a laugh, for at that announcement, Ed's eyes had widened to the size of basketballs and he was practically salivating, those golden orbs just begging for him to accept. _

_"Well...I don't know...." He started to say, keeping an eye on Ed, who actually growled at him and gave him his best glare, the one that said you'd-better-damn-well-take-what-you-can-get! He snickered quietly and nudged Roy, who looked up and twitched in amusement at Ed's facial expression. _

_"How would he aquire this knowledge? I understand that you run a school for magic, but Onyx is 15. I beleive that you said the starting year was 11." Roy asked calmly, watching Ed out of the corner of his eye and trying hard not to laugh. _

_"Hogwarts currently has the largest Library in Britain," Al had to push Ed's jaw back into place. "And he would have full access. Also, he would be able to attend lessons with the other students if he so chose." Father and son locked gazes for a moment, before turning back to the blue eyed manipulator. _

_"We'll think about it and have an answer for you in two days." Roy said before standing and wheeling Ed out of the room. Protests echoed back to them, things like "wans't going to do anything bad to it!" and "Oh come on Colonel! I just wanted to see how he controled his magic! Perfectly scientific venture here!" Then a bellowed "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT A WAND LOOKS LIKE A FREAKING TREE?"_

_Two days later they accepted the offer. Albus, curious as to what he should expect, asked who all was going. _

_"Winry Rockbell, our mechanic. Dad, of course. Ed and Al, can't leave without them. And Moi, though I could just send Armstrong..." That particular statement was met with a snort of laughter from the three Ametrans and two confused Wizards... _

_End Flashback_

"Interesting he says..." Ed grumbled, standing up as well as he could while his Automail leg shook. Winry snorted, rolling her eyes, and grabbed one of his arms, slinging it over her own shoulder and glaring when he attempted to refuse the help. He subsided, warily eyeing the wrench hanging from the taller girl's belt.

"I guess that's Hogsmead...So Hoggity's must be behind that gate..." Al mused, walking up behind Onyx and Roy, who were staring through the gate.

"It's Hogwarts..." Onyx muttered absently, one hand reaching forward and prodding the gate curiously. It swung open silently, either spelled quiet or just well oiled. They all looked at each other and shrugged before starting up the path. Ten minutes later they stopped dead, eyes wide as they took in the beauty that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Onyx scanned the battlements and towers eagerly, almost as if planning future battle schemes and other less deadly things. The others took a few minutes to drink in the beauty before Onyx coughed, drawing them out of their thoughts.

"Hey...Anyone wanna make a scene?" He grinned devilishly, eyes twinkling with mischief, which soon spread to those around him, with the exception of Al, and he doesn't have eyes anyway.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The Great Hall was filled with chattering students, talking over their evening meal and the occational studious one, including the entirety of Ravenclaw table, studying a textbook. Albus smiled out at the hall, calmly working his way through a steak and kidney pie, while Severus fidgeted beside him. The potion's master was eager to get his hand on another of Roy's Alchemy books, though they had no idea when the group would actually be showing up. They had just started dessert when the doors opened in a crackle of green and blue energy, slamming against the walls with a loud bang that silenced the hall. In the center of the doorway, two figures battled, one weilding a footlong dagger and what looked like a japanese Katana, while the other had a blade that came right out of his sleeve. Each was bouncing back and forth, clashing in brief intervals and snarling threats at each other. What nobody could see was the twin grins that adorned both of their faces as their battle provided the distraction for the others to get into the hall unnoticed.

Severus was staring wide eyed at the two figures, his wand held loosely in his hand as he watched the enbony and blond boys dance across the floor. Occational bursts of Alchemist energy showed up, mostly blue, though the odd green spark popped up once in a while, effectivly ruining the floor around them.

"Pretty good aren't they?" He nearly jumped over the table at the voice in his ear and spun to face the threat, wand raised. Roy Mustang laughed in his face, followed closely by a girl with long blond hair and the suit of Armor. Severus scowled, tucking his wand away and turning just in time for Albus to regain himself.

"Messrs Elric and Mustang, would you please discontinue your fight until a more appropriate time?" He called out, blue eyes twinkling with amusement at the entrance the group had made. The two boys, who were already at a standstill, Onyx's dagger to Ed's throat and his Katana to the gut, while Ed's blade rested on his sternum, looked at the Headmaster, pouting for all the hall to see.

"Awe, Abe! It was just getting interesting!" Onyx called back, blinking as sweetly as he could at the old man while several girls swooned in the background. Albus shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"You can practice another time boys. I'm sure you're hungry anyway. Care to join us for dinner?" He beconned them forward, gesturing to two extra chairs (the others were already seated). Onyx and Ed looked at each other for a moment beofre shrugging and stepping apart swiftly. Ed's blade retracted with a small crackle of alchemy, so slight that people assumed it was hidden in a sheath, and Onyx tucked his dagger back into his boot and slid the Katana back into it's scabard across his back. Both boys walked the distance to the head table, grinning mischivously, and meticulously ignoring the stares, and in Ed's case, whispers of shortness.

"Ah yes...Students and staff! Let me introduce you to our guests for the next few months. Colonel Roy Mustang, his son Onyx, and their friends Edward and Alphonse Elric, and Winry Rockbell. All will be staying for an indeffinable period of time, so be sure to be polite and extend the hand of friendship. A word of warning though. Our esteemed guests will not tolerate any attack on thier person, and will fight back with intent to disarm or incapacitate. I also urge you not to comment on anyone's stature, blood purity, or other prejudiced nonsense." He gazed around the hall, his blue eyes fixing on a platinum blond with green trimmed robes and a red head with red ones. "That is all, do continue your meal." He sat back down, once again tucking in to his favorite dish as conversation started up again, this time circled around the strangers and their odd entrance.

Onyx sat, pulling a plate towards himself before spying the mess they had made of the floor. Bending down slightly, he pressed his fingers to the stone. Green energy swirled up, grabbing the jutting stonework and dragging it back down until the floor was level and unmarked, just as it had been before they arrived.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Red eyes narrowed at the offending peice of parchment resting in front of him. Several words jumped out at him, forcing him to reread several times before he could absorb it all.

**My Lord, **

**My son has informed me of a strange happening at Hogwarts. Last night during dinner a group of five people showed up, two of them fighting, apparently for show, in the great hall. Each of them wore strange clothing, though the two fighting wore something similar to robes, and had weapons on their person. One character in particular caught my son's eye. He is tall, around 5'11" with long black hair held in a braid, and vivid green eyes. Draco could not get a clear veiw on the boy, but said that his appearance was similar to that of a younger James Potter. The others were also odd, the eldest with short dark hair and blue eyes, the shortest with golden blond hair and eyes, and a girl with long blond hair and blue eyes. Thye were accompanied by either a walking suit of armor, or a man in said suit, who did not eat or take off his helmet during the meal. The names of each individual area s follows, in order of description: Onyx Mustang, Colonel Roy Mustang, Edward Elric, Winry Rockbell, and Alphonse Elric. **

**I hope this note finds you well and that the information will serve you in the future. **

**Your loyal servant, **

**Lucius Malfoy.**

Next to that letter was another shorter message, which had caused him to see red and destroy nearly everything in sight.

_**Heya Dark Loogey!**_

_**Potter here, also known as the Boy-Who-Lived, or the Chosen One. Really how in hades did they come up with these names? Psh. Anyway! I hear you've missed me these last few years. Ready to go another round are you? Should be easy for you to kick my ass, almost like taking the life of a child...wait...that's what you tried the first time! *evil snicker* Bet you can't wait to get your hands around my neck can you? Well too bad! Cuz you're just going to have to wait like every other bad little villan for me to step out of my cozey little shelter and into the spotlight once more. Pity...I kinda liked the dark...Oh well. **_

_**Hey Tommy! Mind if I call you Tommy? Of course you don't, what was I thinking? Anywho, you might want to tell Dear Draco's father that that little message was a bad idea. Oh yes, I know about the letter. In fact, I know a lot of things about what goes on around there...You could almost say I was reading your mind...But that would be impossible from such a distance...Oh dear me, I've gotten off topic again!**_

_**Anywho, Abe says Hi, and so does Sal come to think of it...Who knew Slytherin wasn't a potion's master like everyone thought? Seriously? Charms dude, that's what he liked. It was Dear Godric who loved the 'sutle art of potion's making...' as Snape once muttered as he passed. I think he was rehearsing something...0.o! **_

_**Oh! Got to split! Queen Bee is trying to rope me into a game of catch the Alchemist again...Huh...I always thought Nickolas was dead...guess not!**_

_**Your Greatest Conundrum, **_

_**Harry Potter *AKA: The Boy-Who-Lived-To-Annoy-All-The-'Evil'-Boogers-In-Those-Dark-Nostrils-Of-Doom!***_

Voldemort twitched. Then he growled. Then he incinerated his desk, the room and everything around him. Once he had calmed down, a single peice of unmarked parchment floated to the floor.

_**PS: I made this letter indestructable. Have fun!**_

The next Death Muncher through the door was dead before he could even comprehend the flash of green light.

M.P.O.: Ok, my letters suck, I'll admit it. Not very good at letter writing, despite my other talents. Odd... Anyway, What do you think? A bit more on Hogwarts next chapter, individual student reactions and whatnot, and Ed and Onyx find the Library! *Squee!* I wonder if Madam Pince can handle them? Or Filtch for that matter...they did mess up the floor in the Great Hall after all... Sorry for any errors in this one. I didn't go over it before I posted. If you find any truely horrid ones, please PM me or point it out in a review and I'll fix it as soon as I can. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

M.P.O.: *cries with happiness* You guys are great! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! Sorry I'm so late with this chapter, I couldn't figure out how to get them to the library and a few other details were dancing naked outside my reach...odd I know...That and Sev refused to write until I bought him some more Peach wine. I swear that man can't write without being tipsy. **I resent that remark you know... **I know, but really what are you going to do about it? **Voluntarily quit drinking so that you don't have any more chapters. **You wouldn't? **I would. ***blinks*

To the Library We Go! (and other places...)

Onyx grinned, nearly skipping down the corridors in search of the illusive Library. Ed was following along behind him, golden eyes spitting daggers at the people around them, most of which thought he was 11 or 12 instead of his hard earned 15 years of age. Dodging around yet another group of giggling girls, Onyx turned around to snicker at Ed's disgruntled expression, and continued walking backwards as he teased the young alchemist.

"Oh cheer up Fullmetal. It's not like they're going to pour milk down your throat and demand that you grow up. That's Winry's job!" He sang cheerfully, enjoying the full-body shiver when he mentioned the dratted bovine mammory extract considered delicious in many circles.

"Come now Emerald. No need to torment the vertically challenged." Roy's voice startled the two boy's, making Ed swear viciously under his breath for the short comment, while Onyx spun on one foot and fell on his arse with a giggle. Roy rolled his eyes at the ebony haired boy's antics and helped him to his feet, mindful of the suddenly drooling audiance around them. Onyx merely rubbed the back of his head and laughed, making several girls, and some guys, keel over in bliss at the musical sound.

"Well, we were trying to find that Library Abe and Sev told us about, but I can't seem to find it anywhere." He wrinkled his nose cutely and poked Ed's arm teasingly. "This little shrimp forgot which floor Sev said it was on, despite all his protests of having a perfect memory." He giggled again and dodged past Roy, who shook his head and continued on his way as the two alchemists pelted through the halls.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT A BOOK-WORM THINKS HE'S A HUNK OF DUST?!(1) Ed's voice echoed through the halls long after they had disappeared around the corner, making several students wince at the volume while most others fell over laughing at the blond's apparent issue with being called short.

Several hours, and threats, later, Ed and Onyx had finally managed to find the Library. They stood in the doorway, slack-jawed and positively drooling at the sight of so many bookshelves. Each shelf was over twenty feet tall and packed with books, from new ones with shiny covers to old ones with rotted spines. Both boys glanced at each other, identicle cheshire grins spreading across not-so-innocent faces as they dove into the depths of Hogwarts' literary works. In around five minutes, both of them were ensconced at a table, surrounded by towers of books and reading at least three books at once.

"Ohh...Look at this Hex...."

"No, This is truly disgusting. Did you see what it..."

"I think that this would be a good..." The two of them went back and forth for over an hour, showing each other different hexes and potions that they thought might come in handy.

Around ten minutes before the library was due to close, a woman with gray hair and a sharp frown clicked her way over to them, hands on her hips and eyes positively spitting flames as she gazed upon the two boys, who hadn't yet noticed her arrival. She took in the towers of books, and the notebooks with nearly illegible handwriting covering each page, with barely controled fury.

"GENTLEMAN!" She roared, startling Onyx and Ed out of their study induced stupor. "I do hope you know EXACTLY where each and every book is supposed to go, because the Library is closing in five minutes."

"Ummm...." Onyx paled, shrinking under her hawk's gaze and nudging Ed. "He's the one with the perfect memory!" He squeaked out before bolting, grabbing his notebooks and slipping through the doors just as they closed. Ed sputtered, glaring after his brother in all but blood before turning meekly back to the irate Librarian.

"I'll...just...be putting these away now." He muttered quickly, grabbing a stack of books and rushing off to put them away. Madam Pince stood there for a second, watching him, a small smile finding it's way onto her face as the young alchemist put every single book where it belonged. Ed panted, finally finished, and glanced at the once again frowning librarian before bolting out the doors.

"ONYX!" He roared as he sped down the halls and jumped over stairs, scaring Professor McGonagall, who nearly fainted seeing him dropping from three floors above her. "Sorry Madam..." He muttered as he ran past, golden eyes searching for the ebony haired alchemist.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Outside, lying beside the lake and surrounded by Thestrals, was Onyx. He was lying with his head on one's flank, his back on the grass and his fingers twisted in another's mane. The others were curled around him, watching the CoMC class that was going on nearby. A sudden shout brought him out of his reverie and he sat up, eyes wide.

"Shit..." He muttered, watching the golden blur that streaked across the grounds, heading right for him. A sneaky smile found his lips and he touched his fingers to the grass, grinning at the nearly invisible ripple as each blade of grass grew three feet longer. Another touch, and he was running along stone stairs around twenty feet high, each one disappearing as his foot left it. Ed growled at him, fighting his way out of the high grass and onto his own platform.

"You brat! You left me in there to put all those books away and without even a proper goodbye! That woman is scarier than Hawkeye!" Ed yelled at him. Onyx merely grinned, twirling a knife lazily and watching the CoMC class out of the corner of his eye. The entire group of Sixth years had turned to watch the two alchemists, even the teacher, a huge man with a bushy black beard and beady eyes, was watching.

"Yea, well, you needed the excercise. Who knows...maybe reaching for the shelves would have made you grow some, shorty!" He taunted, then dodged as Ed launched his trademark spear at his head. "Awe, you can do better than that Little Bro!" He teased, chuckling at the students, some of which were passing around coins and whispering excitedly. He glimpsed Roy standing in the doors to the castle, talking to an amused Professor Snape and a stunned looking Albus. His attention snapped back to Ed when the shorter boy rammed into his side, knocking him from his pillar and onto the grass below. He growled, a feral sounding noise that shocked the closer students into stepping back, and lept to his feet again, short blades appearing from his sleeves with quiet shucking sounds. Ed's eyes widened and he grinned, determined to beat Onyx at his own game, and clapped his hands. The grass around them grew thicker, while nearby, the lake froze in a wide arch. Stones sprung from the ground to provide stepping area's and cover, and the battle had begun.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Roy smirked, watching Onyx chase Ed around the grounds, blades clashing and alchemic energy flaring up in flashes of blue and green. Albus was standing beside him, shocked, as the two literally demolished the grounds in their frantic efforts to pound each other into the ground. Snape was nearby, leaning casually against the wall and watching with a nearly invisible amused smirk. Students, either hearing the commotion or spotting it from the upper windows, wer flooding the area between the fighting grounds and the doors.

"Should we stop them?" Albus asked worrily as Ed executed another rather dangerous stunt, jumping backwards from a pillar of stone and launching several spikes at Onyx before spinning and landing on the side ofa mini-mountain. Onyx, to his credit, didn't get hit by any of them, but was distracted from his attempt to transmute several batches of Lava for who knows what purpose. Roy snickered, watching carefully, and answered, using his bored tone.

"Nah. Once one of them gets first-blood, they'll quit."

"First-blood?! But they're both already cut up and bleeding!" Minerva gasped, hand flying to her throat. Roy grinned at her.

"Those were caused by rocks, spears and other miscellanious objects, not by the dagger each has in one hand. For it to be first blood, according to the rules those two made for themselves, the cut made for it has to be done with a dagger weilded by ther own hand, not thrown, transmutted, or anything other. As you can see, they aren't even trying to get close enough for that yet. They're just warming up." He chuckled at the shocked faces. Even Snape was staring now, black eyes wide as they took in the destruction with newfound awe.

"But...That's barbaric!" Madam Pomfrey was the one talking now, her Healer's background coming into play as she watched the two duking it out. She nearly fainted, seeing Ed get slammed into the ground with a stone hand, which dissolved a second later and reappeared above Onyx, who cussed (loudly) and dived out of the way. Roy's grin widened. They were starting to get serious.

Fifteen minutes, two broken ribs, several hundred lacerations, and quite a few fainting students later, Ed and Onyx were ensconced in a bed in the Hospital Wing, grinning like loons and letting Poppy have her way.

"You do know that you'll have to put the grounds to rights again. Poor Albus was nearly sent into shock at the sight of all the damage you two had done to his precious lawn." Roy informed them from his chair, where he had fallen gracefully and refused to get up, his nose buried in Hogwarts, A History. Onyx snorted, drawing a glare from Poppy, who was setting Ed's ribs and mending them with a quick spell.

"I've already done it. Fixed 'em around five minutes ago." Roy just nodded, knowing that he wasn't kidding, and went back to his book, only glancing up breifly when several giggling students ran in, dropped soemthing on the tables in front of both boys' beds, and ran back out. Ed looked stunned, and Onyx merely shrugged, grabbing a box of Bertie Botts and grabbing a green bean. He bit into it and made a face afterwards. "Urg, Crabgrass." He passed it to Ed, who looked a little wary.

"How'd you know it was Crabgrass? Have you ever tried it?" He asked as he grabbed a tan bean, nibbling the corner before smiling and eating the whole bean. "Coffee." He explained.

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Voldemort growled, ripping the paper in his hands to shreds and glaring heatedly at yet another letter from the brat-who-lived.

_**Riddle me this,**_

_**I've always wondered how you came back, even though I wasn't around to share the fun, as I'm sure you so desperatly wanted. SO...Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. (gasp) Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me...Are you annoyed yet? If you are, I've done my job for the night. If I haven't, well, I'll just have to come up with a better way to do it, now won't I? **_

_**Oh, and your dear little informant will be sending you a letter soon with a few details about a friend of mine. Do try and read it without screaming why don't you?" **_

_**Irritatingly Yours, **_

_**Harry Potter**_

_**AKA: The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Annoy-The-S***-Out-Of-You-And-Yours.**_

Sure enough, a few minutes after Potter's letter had arrived, a black owl flew in and landed gracefully on the perch set just for it. Voldemort eyed the letter at it's leg, glancing between it and Potter's, before crossing the room and taking it. Dismissing the bird, and breathing deeply to sooth his rather short temper, he opened it and read.

**My Lord,**

**Today Hogwarts had the pleasure of witnessing a duel between two of the newcomers. Both showed amazing speed and skill... **

The letter explained every detail of the duel, even down to the exact color of the magic both were using. Voldemort could feel his eyes getting wider as he read the blow by blow account.

_**I've also included a recording of the event, so that you may watch it for yourself. Hopefully you will be able to spot what I may not have, my Lord. I should warn you, the faces of both boys were blurry and I was unable to correct them. Forgive me this transgretion. **_

_**Irrevocably Yours, **_

_**Lucius Malfoy. **_

Sure enough, a small package fell out of the envelope, the charm keeping it shrunk failing as it came into contact with his hand. A glowing orb sat innocently on his palm, seeming to mock him with it's contents as he strode through the halls to his private rooms to watch it in peace.

M.P.O.: OK! Finally got it posted! Now I have to go resque my muse from writers block for all my other works! Wish me luck! *charges at golden bars of writers block with a welder's helmet and blowtorch, giggling madly*

**Okkk...Now that she's occupied, let me be the one to tell you to please review and that we are both sorry for the delay, and any grammer or spelling errors. Besides the obvious bout of WB, rl has thrown it's figurative wrench into our plans time and time again. Have a very Happy Halloween, and a Merry Samhaine, for those who know what it is, and a good holiday to all the others! **

OH! Before I forget, I would like to ask if anyone would want to draw some fanart for me. It would be of Onyx, using the main description I have given, and the artist can have free reign on any other details, as long as it fits the basic description. I would draw it myself, but I can't seem to get the human form right and would need time to work on it. **Like twenty years.** Shush you. 


	9. Chapter 9

M.P.O.: OMG I'm sooooo sorry for the long delay. I had some MAJOR writer's block and couldn't figure out what to do with ANY of my stories, especially the one's I've posted here. *sigh* But anyway, now that that's over with, 

Tremendous thanks to: IrogicalArgument; Phoenix Firestorm; CrimsonMoon2009; Emberryred; Lientjuhh; ; Eewec; Salamander Hanzo; kyokoaurora; Molto Alesato, candinaru25 and anyone else I might have forgotten! You guys all helped get this chapter get out.

Now! ON TO FUN STUFFS! BTW the title has absolutely no meaning. I just couldn't think up anything better...

Chapter 8: Lost in a world of Scales.

After the enthusiastic mock battle on Hogwarts' front lawn, Onyx went off on his own to explore the castle a bit. He wandered the halls, humming lightly and vaulting over railings every now and then, mainly because the surprised cries of both student and staff alike amused him to no end. Hours later, he found himself in the dungeons, a bit lost, and irritated at his inability to get himself un-lost. He was examining a wall, hoping to find one of those secret passages he had found a few times, when a sudden noise startled him. Crouching low to the ground, he pulled two foot long blades, each edge laced with a poison of his own creation, and waited.

**/Who isss it that disssturbsss my ressst?/** An eerie voice spoke through the darkness, a snakelike quality to it's drawn out S's and the general way it seemed to slip into your ears like a serpent. Onyx tensed, tilting his head to one side as he attempted to pinpoint where it had come from.

**/Emerald isss my name. Who'sss resst have I disssturbed, if I may asssk?/** He answered, not noticing that he had switched languages. Twin spots of bright yellow appeared in front of him, huge pools of slightly glazed color that seemed to study him intently. _Eyes. _He realized, watching as they moved, the pools of color always staying the exact same distance from each other.

**/Ah, a Ssspeaker. It hasss been too long sssince I have met one of your kind, Emerald. I have many namesss, young Ssspeaker, though you may call me...Valarian./ **Onyx blinked, confused, and tilted his head a bit further.

**/What exactly are you, Valarian?/ **He tensed at the sudden hiss, which sounded like an amused chuckle to him.

**/Young Ssspeaker, I am a Basssilisssk. One of the Four Guardian'sss of thisss ssschool. Though many would not believe it if you told them./ **

**/And why isss that?/ **Onyx, relaxed minutely, rising from his crouch, though he left his daggers in hand, just in case.

**/Becaussse, the Founder who ssset my tasssk isss not asss well ressspected asss he ssshould be. Alasss, I have not made that any easssier. You sssee, young Emerald, all Ssserpents are bound to obey a ssspeaker, be the ordersss good or bad. Yearsss ago, a Ssspeaker entered thessse wallsss and found hisss way to my resssting place. The boy wasss young, headssstrong, and misssguided. Under hisss influence, I wasss ordered to hunt and kill the ssstudentsss I had been sssworn to protect. Thankfully, that oath kept me from killing... all but one. I regret her death to thisss day, asss I had not known ssshe wasss there. If I had...Ssshe would ssstill be living, and my name would not be sssmeared with the blood of innocentsss./ **Valarian's voice was tinged with regret, and the pools of yellow lowered their gaze to the floor. **/I wasss releasssed again a few yearsss ago to do the sssame. Only thisss Ssspeaker wasss not a true ssspeaker. Asss sssoon asss I wasss releasssed, I hid here, inssstead of in the Chamber, in order to protect the ssschool from myssself./ **Onyx, no longer worried about his safety, stepped forward, fingers searching, and rested his hand on cool scales. Valarian hissed with surprise, yellow orbs lifting to meet with green in shock.

**/If you regret, then all isss forgivin./ **Onyx said softly, staring into his eyes calmly. **/And by the way...What do you mean by Ssspeaker?/**

**/A Ssspeaker isss one who can talk to Ssserpentsss. The language isss called Parssseltongue by you two-legsss, and thossse capable of itsss ssspeach are called Parssselmouthsss./**

**/Oh....Wait...You mean I'm ssspeaking a different language without knowing it?!/ **Onyx blanched, astonished and leaned against the wall. Valarian bobbed his head in a nod, emitting that strange hissing laughter again.

**/Not very obssservant are you Emerald?/**

**/I am too! It jussst sssoundsss like Englisssh to me./ **He retorted, eyes widening when he caught the slight hiss that accompanied his words. He chuckled, and blinked, remembering why he had been there in the first place. **/Umm, Valarian?/**

**/Yesss, Emerald?/ **

**/Do you know how to get to the entrance hall from here? I'm a bit lossst. That'sss how I found you in the firssst place./**

**/Yesss, I do. I take it you wisssh to return to the other ssstudentsss?/**

**/Yesss. My Father isss probably wondering where I've run off to. Would you ssshow me the way?/ **Valarian laughed again and moved forward, into the torchlight. He was huge, his fangs alone almost as long as Onyx was tall. His scales were a brilliant jade green, offset with black streaks down his sides and back. Each scale was raised, with a ridge along the center that made them rough and dangerous. He towered over Onyx, even with his head raised only two feet above the ground in order to move, and the bright red crest atop his head brushed the ceiling as he slithered forward.

**/Don't look ssso ssshocked, Emerald. What did you think a King of Ssserpentsss would look like? A common Garter Sssnake?/** Onyx blinked and crossed his arms.

**/Never ssseen a Basssilisssk. Thisss isss my firssst time in the magical world, ssso naturally... By the way, you're huge. How in the name of the Ssseven Homonculi did you hide down here all thessse yearsss?/**

**/Basssilisssksss are magical creaturesss Emerald. The older we get, the more powerful our magicsss become. I can ssshrink myssself to the sssize of a python, or become asss large asss a thousssand year old dragon./** Valarian seemed to shimmer for a moment before shrinking rapidly. In his place, a basilisk about five feet long and five inches at his widest point, chuckled at Onyx's astonished expression before slithering up his leg and around his neck, his scales cool to the touch. **/Sssee?/ **His crest tickled Onyx's cheek and the ebony haired alchemist laughed, running his fingers along the ridged scales as he walked.

**/I get it. Thisss isss ssso cool./ **The two walked in silence for a few minutes, Valarian only speaking to point out turns and passages he needed to take. Finally the air seemed to get fresher and Onyx could hear chattering students and a drumline of footsteps ahead of them. He stopped, looking down at Valarian, who stared back with glassy yellow eyes. **/I guess this is where we part./**

**/Not if you don't mind me hanging around. It's been a while since I've explored the castle./**

**/But if you're such a 'Dark Creature' then wouldn't someone freak out about you hanging around my neck?/**

**/Basilisk magic, remember? I can make myself unseen to all but you if I so choose. Two thousand years is a long time to gather magic./**

**/Alright then. If you wish./ **Onyx grinned, feeling a slight tingle around his middle, where Valarian had coiled himself like a belt, and stepped out into the hall, pausing slightly. When nobody shrieked in terror or fell over dead, he snickered and continued on his way to the great hall, humming lightly.

* * *

Roy growled lowly, running a hand through his already mussed hair as he checked yet another alcove for the brat he called son. Sighing, he shook his head, hearing the faint clank of armor that announced Al's presense, and turned to face the gigantic suit of metal.

"Have you found him?"

"Yep. He just walked into the Great Hall and sat down, grabbing a bit of everything within reach. Ed's still somewhere on the seventh floor and Winry's stuck at the gamekeeper's hut looking at some...er...Mufflers? Nibblers? Pah. Either way, she's looking at something cute and fuzzy that apparently likes shiny stuff. Tried to steal Ed's arm when he passed by." Roy rolled his eyes and started walking, heading for the Hall and grumbling under his breath about insubordinates and idiots who don't like to tell people where they're going.

* * *

Onyx nibbled a bite of one of the strange foods they served here, a steak and kidney pie he thought. It was odd to say the least, but not unpleasant. The spotted dick sitting at his elbow was much more enticing, though he knew he'd get clobbered by Winry if he didn't eat at least _some_ normal food before starting in on the sweets. Shivering slightly at the mental image conjured, he barely noticed when two nasty looking black owls landed in front of him. Each was carrying a letter made of black parchment with silver writing. Eyes widening a bit at one of the names on the thick paper, he grabbed it and shoved it deep into a pocket. Then, purely for his own amusement, and to try out a spell he had found in a book, he pointed his finger at the letter, completely ignoring the wand strapped to his wrist (Ebony and Thesrtral tail hair, with silver engraved details, 13 inches). The black parchment rose into the air, shifting a bit as though something were struggling to get out of it, before the flap opened, letting out a voice so cold and cruel it gave one the chills just by listening to it.

**Dear Mr. Mustang. **

**I must congratulate you on such a well played skirmish, especially one between friends. It was most enjoyable to watch, though I admit not seeing your face was quite an irritant. You ingenious use of magic has peaked my interest, not something that happens very often I assure you. Do give my regards to the young Mr. Elric as well of course. **

**Do tell young Mr. Potter that his time is short, and that he would be better off revealing himself than staying in the shadows. I'm sure that the Wizarding World would love to hear how their so called 'Savior' was hiding when the rest of society suffered under the 'hands of a madman' as so many have said. **

**There now. I've said my peice, for now anyway. I believe that Mr. Potter should be receiving a message similar, should he decide to indulge you as it it's contents. Have an obscenely happy Yule.**

**Lord Voldemort**

Several students screamed as a green Dark Mark appeared in the air above the letter, a smokey look to it's form as it hung in the air. At the head table, Dumbledore was frowning, clearly thinking about the message, as was Snape. Standing frozen beside the doors, Roy was also frowning, though his gaze was focused on Onyx instead of the smoking ashes, all that remained of the letter after a wandless incendio burnt it to a crisp. Onyx looked around at all the shocked faces and blinked twice before breaking down in sniggers, which eventually turned to full blown laughter. Several student's backed away from him, a bit worried about his mental state, and Roy shook his head, striding forward to stand behind the laughing alchemist.

"That's your so-called Dark Lord? Psh. He sounds like Wrath on a good day. Or maybe Envy after a good shag." He seemed to shiver at the thought, pushing back from the table and standing beside Roy. Considering the hovering Dark Mark with interest, he pursed his lips and blew, small tendrils of green energy slipping from between his lips to slice the offending symbol in twain. Most of the student's blinked at the unsual magics, while others stared at the display of power. From around his waist, Valarian sniggered in his weird hissing way, startling Onyx slightly for he had forgotten the basilisk was there, though he didn't show it but for a slight widening of his eyes. Then ignoring the stares of the entire hall, he grabbed a plate of spotted dick, turned on his heel, and walked out, trench coat flapping behind him as he strode out of the hall, humming happily at a mouthful of sweet. Roy stared after him and sighed, running a hand through his hair before following with a slight smirk.

Up at the head table, Snape turned to Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow. "Either that boy is extremely stupid, hopelessly naive, or simply a genious." Dumbledore hummed in thought, blue eye twinkling again.

"I think it must be the last. He is extremely talented."

"That or he's just mad as a hatter."

"Muggle literature reference Severus? How...unlike you."

"Sod off Albus."

M.P.O.: OK...I seriously don't like this chapter....except the first bit. that I actually had planned...everything else was a combination of sheer boredom, lots of coffee, no idea's, and the need to give you wonderful readers a Christmas (And Yule) gift. Once more, please excuse any spelling or grammer errors, as I have no beta, and don't really plan on getting one. At some point I'll get Microsoft Word on my laptop and will be able to check it all myself. My internet is too slow to use the one here on FFN. XP Please reveiw! It makes me happy, and would make a most lovely Christmas gift! Might even remove the bars that have locked away all idea's for my current fics. It's odd, I can't think of anything to do with the one's I've posted, but BILLIONS of little insane plot bunnies have started popping out of my ears at random moments. Grrr... BTW, not sure exactly WHAT spotted dick is. I'm pretty sure it a dessert though. I've never had it either, though it might be interesting to try.


	10. Chapter 10

M.P.O.: Hey again guys! So glad you liked the last chapter. Made me feel a bit better about how it turned out, though it's still not my favorite. This chpter is an Interlude, which will include a few things from Onyx's past. Hope you like!

**Spotted Dick?** - Eh, I had heard that it was some sort of English dessert, and so i added it in for kicks. Not sure if i got the name right or if it even exsists, but what can ya do? My apologies if I have offended anyone, or simply confused the shit out of you. There was no point to it other than to satisfy Onyx's immense sweet tooth.

**Will we be seeing any of the missing nine years? Like Onyx getting used to the automail and becoming a state alchemist?** - I had been planning to do a bit of that yes, mainly in the Interlude chapters, instead of in flashbacks and such. 

**Will we be seeing Hermione and/or Luna anytime soon?** - actually hadn't thought of it, but then when I read your review I had an idea, so yes, within three chapters, Onyx will meet one or both of them. 

**Relationship status**: As far as I can see, and it's not very far with this fic, Onyx will not be having any relationships. It takes up too much time, I can't write them, and I really can't think of any characters that would be able to handle him aside from maybe Ed or Winry. So no, there will be no Slash, no nothing for this fic. Sorry for those who want it.

_**WARNING: Chapter HAS NOT been edited. I'm going through ALL of my fics and combing them for grammer mistakes and spelling errors, so it will take some time for me to get all of it done. Please bear with me on this, as I don't really think that there are that many mistakes. **_

Chapter 9: Interlude

**February 17th, 1985**

The alley was cold and his skin prickled with goosebumps. Footsteps nearby caught his attention and he wimpered quietly, expecting Vernon to come after him again. He had done the bad thing, he knew it, but it had hurt so much. A snap made him twitch and he opened his eyes, and he was surprised to see a stranger's concerned face looming over him, flames licking at the air above the mans fingers. Dark blue eyes met pained green for a few seconds before he fell into the abyss, safe in the knowledge that at least this man wasn't Vernon.

_He stood in front of a large black gate, the doors etched with so many carvings that he couldn't even disconcern what was what. Uncirtain, he looked away, back at his own body and was surprised to see not even a scratch on him. He was also clad in a strange style of clothing, a black robe with green trim and leathery pants with an odd design. His feet were encased in thick boots with what looked like scales covering the material. A holster was wrapped around his right forearm holding a long stick of gleaming wood. His other arm had a knife holster, the blade a dark black metal and the handle wrapped in emerald green japanese silk. A katana was strapped across his back, the handle covered with the same material as th eknife and the sheath was as black as night. _

_"Whoa..." He murmured, still looking down at himself. A loud creak made him look up and his eyes widened as the great doors opened, revealing a golden light. Millions of whispering voices reached his ears, too many talking at once for him to clearly understand what he was hearing, and a pair of great big blue eyes appeared above him. _

_"__You are not yet ready to cross into the gate, young Mage.__" An androgyinous voice spoke up, the echo hiding where it had originated. He jumped, looking around, before focusing on the amused looking blue eyes. _

_"What's a Mage? And who are you?"_

_"__You may call us the Truth, though we have many names, young one. A Mage is someone capable of using the powers residing without the earth, otherwise known as magic. Though there are some who use it and call it Alchemy. You are a mixture of both, as we have...twisted...your powers to allow you to use both. Your Alchemy will be different, as will your magic.__"_

_"So I'm a Mage...and an Al-kem-ist?" He asked hopefully, watching the blue eyes with a mixture of confusion and awe. _

_"__Yes.__"The eyes blinked once, flickering from blue to green, to brown, and back to blue. "__Though you will learn to use Alchemy before your Magus powers. Now, I do believe that it is time for you to go, young one.__" _

_"Go?" _

_"__Back to the real world. You are no closer to death and must return.__"_

_"Oh." _

_"__But before you go...__" A rush of images assaulted his mind, though it was only for about a second before they were locked away in big boxes that set themselves at the edge of his mind. "__Those memories will release themselves slowly, over time, so that you do not go insane from the olverload of images. One of them should come out soon, a Magus technique called Occlumency, which will organize and protect your thoughts.__"_

_"Cool...I guess." _

_"__Mhm...__" The eyes blinked once more and he was sent spinning, landing with a gasp of air in his own body..._

The first thing he registered was pain, though that was normal, and the second was of a soft mattress and warm blankets covering his battered form. He opened his eyes slowly, grateful that the lights in the room he was in were turned down. Something russled on the floor and he froze, keeping his breath still and even as a tall form unravled itself from a pile of blankets. The same stranger from before rubbed a hand over his messy hair, fighting a yawn and he looked around blinking sleepily. Dark blue eyes glanced over at the bed and stopped, surprised to see a pair of bright green ones watching him.

"You're awake..." The man's voice was soft and melodic, with a hint of authority that showed he was used to being in charge. He nodded slowly, wrapping his arms securely around hsi thin chest as he watched the man. "My name is Roy Mustange, little one. I found you in an alley and brought you to my home because you were injured. Do you remember anything?" The newly named Roy asked, sliding carefully into an armchair beside the bed, careful to keep his hands visible.

"Dog...pain...uncle." He managed to say before seccumbing to his shivers and tears, huddling into the blankets and pillows and crying his eyes out. He curled his legs to his chest, wimpering a little at the pain in his leg and ribs when he did, and only then noticed something horribly wrong. One of his legs was shorted than the other. Not by and inch or two, but halfway up his thigh. He stared in shock at the bandage wrapped appendage and blinked before passing out. Roy sighed, rubbing his temples, and reached forward carefully to rearrange the child into a more comfortable position.

"That wasn't how I planned things..." He muttered, heading fro the phone. Pinako had instructed him to call her as soon as the boy woke and he really didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Hey, Pinako?"

"Yes? That you Mustang?"

"Yea. He woke up. Cried a little bit and then spotted his leg and passed out. You still want to come check on him?"

"Of course. Be there in about twenty minutes. I'm bringing little Winry with me, so can you set up your guest room? She needs a nap and I can't get a baby sitter."

"Sure. I'll even make up a bit of lunch for when she gets up."

"See you then."

**May 17th, 1985**

"This won't be easy you know." A short woman with greying hair held in a high bun peered at the small green eyed youth on the bed in front of her. He was skinny, with wild black hair, brilliant emerald green eyes and pale skin. Several shiny silver scars criss-crossed over his arms and chest, disappearing beneath the white blanket that hid his legs from view, though you could tell one of them was a heck of a lot shorter. This tiny waif of a child was Onyx, newly adopted son of Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist. It had been about three months since the day Roy had found the beaten child in an alley a few blocks from home and Onyx had decided to get automail, no matter how much it hurt. 'I've been through worse..." He would always say if they asked if he was sure.

"He knows Pinako. We've been over and over it for the last two months. Besides, didn't that Elric boy get both his arm and leg done, at the same time?"

"Yes, Edward did get a bit more than Onyx is. I still don't have to like giving Automail to children." She huffed, opening one of the four black bags that she had brought with her from Risembol, a small town out in the country she had moved to not long after Roy had found Onyx. Out came a bunch of wires and a few hunks of an odd black metal. She grinned slightly seeing the astonished look on both of their faces.

"Figured he would like something more fitting to his name. Silver just doesn't cut it when Onyx is in the room." She teased, pulling out ht erest of the port and the leg itself, which gleamed in the bright lights she had set up around the room to work in. Onyx blushed, still not used to others being nice, and lowered his head so that his bangs fell across his face. Roy smiled lightly, resting a hand over his son's skinny shoulder and squeezing gently.

"I'm all set, so lean back and let's get this over with." She called, fixing an apron over her shirt and sliding on a pair of gloves. Roy wrinkled his nose at the smell of anticeptic and stood back a bit, near enough to hold Onyx down if her sruggled, but far enough to be out of her way.

After three hours of gritted teeth, blood, tears and various swear words that left both Pinako and Roy with wide eyes, Onyx finally had his new port. The boy was now resting a little, waiting for Pinako to finish assemblig his leg so that they could attach it. Roy sat beside the bed, reading a book and carding his fingers gently through Onyx's hair while said boy stared at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes.

"Ow..." He muttered, startling Roy, who looked up after dropping his book. Green eyes shifted to look at him, amused and in pain at the same time.

"Not surprising..." Roy answered with a faint smile. Over at the work table, Pinako snorted while screwing a tiny metal plate over a group of wires.

A week after the automail installment Onyx was allowed out of bed for the first time to test out his new leg. Roy stood beside the bed with Pinako while Onyx sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor and at his dangling feet, one a pale white, the other shiny black. After looking to his new father and the mechanic one last time, he slid down and put his weight on both feet, gripping the edge of the bed. His real leg trembled a little, unused to standing after three months, while the automail one stood tall and proud the top half of th eport disappearing into his shorts. Roy smiled and stepped forward to help him back onto the bed while Pinako nodded in satisfaction.

"You'll need to work out the muscles on both legs before sttempting to walk, as the ones in your leg have atrophied after so long without use. Working out the automail will improve the muscles that still exsist in your pelvis and thigh. If that is all gentlemen, I shall be taking my leave home. Good luck Roy, Onyx." She gave the two a rare smile and grabbed her bags before heading for the door. Roy ruffled Onyx's hair for a second before following to help her with the doors.

M.P.O.: You asked for it! You like? Don't like? Tell me please, so I can better my style to keep you happy. Writer's block has been beaten back a bit for this fic, though all of my other ones are still caged by it for the moment. Feel free to go check them out and send me idea's if you want. It would really help. 

Thank you soooo much to all those who have reviewed and read so far. It's made Emerald Alchemist more popular than my other HP fic, Daemon Snape. Even though it has less chapters than DS (9 vs 22) the hits for this one have hit the roof! 


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